Education leader shares varied experiences in podcast

By CathNews New Zealand

October 9th, 2026

Dr Colin Macleod (Catholic Kiwi Podcast/YouTube)

Catholic schools offer young people hope – a commodity that is increasingly needed in a secular society – and are among the most important places of evangelisation, National Centre for Religious Studies director Colin Macleod has said.

Speaking on the Catholic Kiwi Podcast, Dr Macleod reflected on a faith journey that began in a vibrant Catholic family in Carterton, continued through service in the Air Force and seminary formation, and eventually led to a career in Catholic education.

Although he discerned that ordained ministry was not his vocation, he believes the call to priesthood continues through the baptismal vocation of all Catholics.

Teaching became the avenue through which he lived that calling, spending more than two decades in Catholic schools, including as director of religious studies at what is now Trinity Catholic College in Dunedin.

A recurring theme throughout the conversation with host Joanna Kearney was the importance of connecting faith to real life. Drawing on his family’s experience after his wife suffered a life-changing stroke shortly after the birth of their son, Dr Macleod said young people need authentic faith rather than simplistic answers about suffering.

In one of the darkest periods of his life, he recalled sensing God’s presence in the simple assurance: “I’m here.”

“Now I wanted much more than that,” he recalls. “I wanted, ‘I’m gonna fix it’, ‘I’m gonna make Jan completely healed’ and everything, but all I got was, ‘I’m here’.

“And what more do we need?”

Today, Dr Macleod supports the implementation of Tō Tātou Whakapono: Our Faith, the New Zealand Catholic bishops’ religious education curriculum.

He said the curriculum is designed to meet students wherever they are on their faith journey – from those with strong Catholic backgrounds to those with little or no religious knowledge.

He argues that Catholic schools play a crucial role in helping young people understand faith, meaning and human flourishing. Rather than simply teaching doctrine, they provide frameworks for understanding concepts such as brokenness, healing, hope and relationships with God and others.

Drawing on his doctorate research that explored parish-school relationships, Dr Macleod said Catholic communities thrive when they share a clear sense of mission and create genuinely welcoming environments.

He believes schools and parishes must work together to help people encounter Christ and grow in faith.

“Catholic education,” he suggested, “is ultimately about helping young people discover hope and find their place in God’s story.”

FULL STORY

Catholic Kiwi Podcast: Season 2, Episode 10 (YouTube)