Partners 2023

Me Maumahara tātou ka tū tātou i te aroaro o te Atua
Let us remember we are in the Holy Presence of God

Every year our New Zealand Sector holds a gathering of Brothers, Partners and Students. This year was no exception and on Saturday 16th September we all travelled two and a half hours from our cities to meet in Watomo, the heart of the Waikato.

Our facilitator for the day was Father John O’Connor. We asked him to guide us through the Leavening Project. What an amazing and uplifting experience. The leaven was bubbling away from the moment we all gathered meeting old friends and greeting new faces. Our young people belnded beautifully into the gathering and connected with each other and those of us beyond our teenage years!

Father John used an image to remind us that we are the leaven and we are living here and now. We go out to be where Jesus Christ is, on the peripheries.

After a lunch in the most beautiful setting we gathered again to make two very special presentations. 

Kane Raukura, has been the Chair of the New Zealand Sector Mission Council for many years and while he remains part of the Council he has stepped down from this leadership role. We took some time to thank him for all the wonderful gifts he has given to us and to show how grateful we are for his guidance and wisdom. 

We also acknowledged our own Sir Brother Patrick Lynch, who was given life membership to the Association of Integrated Schools in Aotearoa. He was honoured with this at a recent gathering of the association in acknowledgement of his many years of service supporting their place as Special Character Schools through the State Integration Act. These integrated schools are of varying faiths and stand with our Catholic schools as partners with the State throught the Integration Act. This is a high honour and we are very proud of Br Pat.

Partners 2023 was a huge success and the seventy Lasallians gathered left to return home with joyful hearts.

Saint John Baptist De La Salle        Pray for Us
Hato Hoani Papita De La Salle        Inoia Mātou

Live Jesus in our Hearts            Forever
Kei roto a Hehu Karaiti o tātou ngākau    Mo ake tonu atu

Source: Anna Zsigovits-Mace, Assistant Principal Special Character, Francis Douglas Memorial College, New Plymouth