NEWS
Philip Cody SM
31 March 2012
Waitangi Day was celebrated in the archdiocese with a 9am Eucharist at St Mary of the Angels.
This was the 10th time that the parish and choir combined with Māori from the local pastoral areas in a combined service of the special Mass for this day.
The gathering of people from places like the parish personal to Māori at Te Ngakau Tapu, Porirua and the urban marae of Te Kainga, Kilbirnie, was in itself an expression of the unity and prayerful co-operation that is the basis for living together in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Archbishop John Dew spoke on the readings of the day (Mark 6:53-56). He stressed that Waitangi day is a chance to call to mind the basis of justice on which true respect for both tangata whenua and all people in New Zealand is based. This unity was clearly expressed in the different languages used in the Prayers of the Faithful.
Also a combined choir of Māori and the members of the choir of St Mary of the Angels gave voice to working together.
After the Eucharist people gathered to converse and share with one another in the parish hall. It was a good start to Waitangi Day.
Mā Te Atua koe e manaaki.