Hamilton Catholic educators reflect on relationship

By CathNews New Zealand

September 8th, 2026

(Catholic Diocese of Hamilton)

Catholic educators from Hamilton Diocese came together last month for the 2026 Schools Conference, with time set aside not only for professional learning and formation, but for prayer, conversation and the opportunity to consider again what sits at the heart of Catholic education.

During the gathering, one theme that continued to emerge was that of relationship – with students and school communities, with one another and, ultimately, relationship with Christ.

That theme was particularly evident as the conference gathered for Mass with Bishop Richard Laurenson, Cardinal John Dew and Fr John O’Connor.

In his homily, Bishop Laurenson said that, in baptism, Christians are marked with the sign of Christ. The Cross is not simply something displayed in churches, classrooms or homes; it says something about who people are and to whom they belong.

Christian faith is not lived in isolation, he said. Through baptism, Christians become part of the Body of Christ, drawn into communion with God and with one another.

For those working in Catholic schools, it was a reminder that Catholic character is about much more than what is taught in religious education. Christ is encountered in community, in relationships and in the ordinary interactions that make up each school day.

Later in the conference, members of the Diocesan Synodal Group introduced participants to Conversation in the Spirit, a prayerful way of listening and discerning together that has become an important part of the Church’s international synodal journey.

Participants spoke about trust and listening, and about the responsibility Catholic schools have to provide opportunities for young people to encounter Christ.

From enrolment through religious education, prayer, liturgy and the countless interactions that happen each day, staff recognised the privilege of being, as one group described it, the “face and hands of Christ” for those who enter Catholic schools.

The session was also an opportunity to consider what synodality might look like beyond a diocesan workshop. Conversation in the Spirit was explained as not simply a process reserved for Rome, bishops or major Church decisions. Its principles can be used anywhere people need to listen well and discern together: staff meetings, leadership teams, boards, parish groups and even families.

FULL STORY

Wise architects and weavers of hope (By Kirsty Muir/Catholic Diocese of Hamilton)