CSS volunteer to attend Geneva youth peace conference Fiona Roberts, Challenge 2000 gap year volunteer, holds the fort at the Wellington Catholic Social Services reception desk Wellington CSS today farewells temporarily Fiona, our Challenge 2000 gap year volunteer, who will be attending a Peace and Leadership Conference in Geneva in July... Keep Reading

Welcome to New Hospital Chaplains Catholic Social Services has appointed three new lay Catholic chaplains to hospitals in the Wellington region to provide ministry. Elizabeth Wootton has been appointed to Wellington Hospital. She brings experience in pastoral care for people in many contexts within the Archdiocese. Elizabeth has taken on sig... Keep Reading

Becoming strong: Thank you event for refugee home preparation Former refugee Saw Pone from Myanmar said he had a lot of worries when being resettled in New Zealand. "I worry about how people will treat me when I get to New Zealand.  Worry about the new future, how to set up my life, how to connect with a new community." But after bein... Keep Reading

Come on Dads, your daughters need you! Much is written, discussed about absent fathers. Of course there are many reasons for this to occur. We read and discuss among ourselves about the impact on boys who do not have good male role models or fathers in their lives. We talk about the harm this causes boys, however, rarely do we discuss why dau... Keep Reading

Keeping your cool at Christmas A message from Brian Hunt, Senior Counsellor, Catholic Social Services For most families Christmas is a time of joy and goodwill. Love and is in the air as family members and friends gather to reconnect after long absences. However, for some these re-connections become the source of pain as old wounds from t... Keep Reading

Wellington Catholic Social Services welcomes new Director Dave Olivier (third from right) with Wellington CSS staff The Archdiocese of Wellington welcomes the new Director of Catholic Social Services, David Olivier. David and Jenni Olivier were welcomed in a pōwhiri at the Compassion Centre Soup Kitchen on Friday 15 December. Mr Olivi... Keep Reading

Christmas cheer for beneficiaries Christmas "treats" collected by staff of the Wellington Archdiocesan Catholic Centre were today delivered to the Hutt Valley Benefit Education Service Trust (BEST) to share with people who attended the recent Naenae Benefit Impact and other Hutt Valley beneficiary families. Christmas cakes, muesli bars, sc... Keep Reading

Warm welcome for beneficiaries at second Archdiocesan Benefit Impact The Archdiocese’s Catholic Social Services have again partnered with the Hutt Valley Benefit Education Service Trust (BEST) to organise a ‘Benefit Impact’ information event. This second Benefit Impact was held at St Bernadette’s Church Hall in Naenae,... Keep Reading

Enabling people to flourish again in families and communities – Wellington Catholic social services annual report 2017 The annual report of Catholic social services of the Archdiocese of Wellington details many of the ways in which the social service agency has worked to enable people facing challenges to again flourish in their familie... Keep Reading

CSS Director passes on the baton Story by Annette Scullion, Wel-com After 10 years with Catholic Social Services, the last four as its Director, Lesley Hooper is retiring from the Archdiocese later this year. She is confident in the knowledge that CSS has grown on its journey and is in the right place at the right time in its new premises at... Keep Reading

Catholic Social Services has been working closely with Red Cross and other church groups to set up homes for new refugee families arriving in New Zealand. CSS Director Lesley Hooper introduces these stories from Gemma Snowden of Red Cross about two families settling into the Wellington region. We continue to witness, through media r... Keep Reading

Catholic Social Teaching, based on the dignity of the human being, asserts that everyone deserves respect and protection – everyone has the right to food and shelter. ‘Too many New Zealanders are facing real difficulties finding affordable, warm, secure housing,’ said Cardinal John Dew at a pre-election housing forum on Wedn... Keep Reading