Neocatechumenal Way starts in Christchurch parish

By CathNews New Zealand

September 30th, 2025

Mission and morning prayer on a Saturday in Ferry Road in Woolston, Christchurch (Inform)

The initial catechesis of the Neocatechumenal Way has been given in a Christchurch parish, in what is believed to be a first for Aotearoa New Zealand. Source: Inform.

The programme took place from April to June in Stella Maris Parish, in Christchurch’s East.

The Neocatechumenal Way is an itinerary of Catholic formation. It operates within parishes, aiming to help individuals re-discover and deepen their faith. It is at the service of the bishop of the diocese, to assist with the work of evangelisation and Christian initiation.

The catecheses at Stella Maris Parish were the fruit of a long period of discernment between Christchurch Bishop Michael Gielen, Stella Maris parish priest Fr Job Thyikalamuriyil and the itinerant team responsible for the Neocatechumenal Way in New Zealand

In starting the Neocatechumenal Way in the diocese, three young missionary families from Australia left their families, homes and jobs in Sydney, Adelaide, and Brisbane and moved to Stella Maris Parish.

Fr Moises Tapia, a priest of the Archdiocese of Sydney, as well as a seminarian from the same archdiocese, moved temporarily to Christchurch to give the initial two-month catechesis.

David Piccolo, one of the itinerant team responsible for the group in New Zealand, said the “principal mission of the Neocatechumenal Way is to, little by little, reach out to those who no longer attend church or maybe have never known of the unconditional love of God for them”.

“We came to Christchurch to give freely what we ourselves have received for free: the love of God.” Fr Tapia said.

“As preparation for the catechesis, we offered morning prayer in the parks and public places, with the families and their children, sharing our experiences of God’s love with those listening, while singing the psalms with our guitars and instruments. Each weekend as we did this, we noticed the deep thirst of people around us for the Word of God. For me, this confirmed Bishop Michael [Gielen’s] discernment of the urgent need for evangelisation.”

The two months finished with a weekend retreat, during which the first Neocatechumenal Community of Stella Maris was formed.

FULL STORY

Inform September 2025 (Catholic Diocese of Christchurch)