Messenger Briefs

June

Brazilian Nature Reserve Named after Marist

Brazil has a new nature reserve; a tribute to a Dutch Marist, Fr Piet van der Aart, who also worked for periods in New Zealand and Brazil.

The Brazilian reserve, which he helped establish, was formally named this year and is called Reserva Volta Velha – Pe. Piet van der Aart.

A biologist, Fr van der Aart led many exploratory tours, mainly for groups of US students, to the nature reserve on the Atlantic Coastal rain-forest of Brazil.

The Reserve comprises 285 hectares of the Atlantic Coastal Rain-forest, in the North of the state of Santa Catarina. The main goal of the reserve is to conserve biological diversity.

Fr van der Aart taught biology at St Patrick’s College, Wellington before his time in Brazil. He died 21 March 2017.

Personal Witness

Butterflies and the Blanket(Comments Off on Butterflies and the Blanket)

September 30, 2014

by Anne Kerrigan

“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.”
(Proverb)

“Lord, ….let our prayers become part of the fabric of this blanket, saturating each thread to bring healing with each stitch. Please comfort and cover the recipient with your love through this blanket.”

Graceland Baptist Church, New Albany, Indiana.… More

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Jewels in God’s Crown

by Philippa Winch

Jenny could be likened to a can of coke. She had a bubbly personality. She had come into our lives when a friend of ours had found her camping alone and invited her to move into their flat.… More

The Shrine

Anne Kerrigan

My Mom’s name was Agnes Cecelia Taylor McKee; she was the youngest child in a family of ten children. She was born on November 29, 1911 and died of a sudden heart attack on April 11, 1977 at the age of 65.… More

Catholic Discipleship College: Outreach and Retreat

by Brian Lenssen

After being a student at the Catholic Discipleship College in 2012 I have come back this year as a volunteer on staff. It has been an intense year full of learning, prayer, self-discovery and outreach. I’d like to share about some highlights from the second half of this year of the programme with our students.… More

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