Kia ora tātou,

As I step into the role of Kaiārahi here at Catholic Social Services, I admit my feelings of vulnerability and awe at the task ahead of us, to realise the aspirations of the 2017 Synod and our vision and mission. “... to work to alleviate the plight of those who live on the peripheries by giving action to the Principles of Catholic Social Teaching/Ngā Matapono Ākoranga Pāpori Katorika.”

In a recent address given by Cardinal John Dew he quoted Theodore Roosevelt.

‘It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong person stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the one who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotions; who spends themselves in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if they fail, at least fails while daring greatly, so that their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.’

I believe we have been called to dare greatly, to step into the arena in spite of our vulnerabilities: to show kindness and compassion to people we meet each day and to rejoice that we share the privilege of being a part of making a difference in the world and in people’s lives. By this commitment we make very day extraordinary, ordinary people doing extraordinary things 

Ma te Atua e manaaki / God bless

Karen