Dear Friends,
Big in the news this week is the Government’s proposal of “move-on” legislation regarding police powers in relation to homeless persons. Our City Missioner, Corinne Haines, has made an appropriately edgy response, as reported in The Press (may be behind a paywall): jail-time would be “the most expensive form of emergency housing” in the country. Rightly, responses to the Government’s proposal point out that we need solutions other than arrests to the challenges our society faces re homelessness and support for those who are mentally unwell. Moving people on is not in itself a solution to those challenges, let alone criminalising homeless people. If the Government found a few more pennies to invest in what the City Mission here, and similar missions in all our cities and towns are doing to meet these challenges, they would reap an investment worth dollars in terms of what the brilliant people working in these not-for-profit, non-governmental agencies are able to achieve with even a modicum of support.
It was good to be at St. Peter’s, Temuka on Sunday morning, to preach and preside for their 10.00 am service. Among our parishes with vacancies at this time, please pray for the Parishes of Temuka-Te Ngawai; Highfield, Kensington and Otipua; Upper Riccarton-Yaldhurst in particular as they begin or continue search processes for new vicars.
Ash Wednesday was a wonderful day, with four services in our Anglican schools, and a lovely Catholic-Anglican service in St. Mary’s Pro Cathedral here in Christchurch. Thank you to all who made extra efforts last week to ensure services were held in our ministry units, and jointly with other churches. As we move through these early days of Lent it is wonderful to learn of Lenten study groups underway in many of our ministry units.
This morning it was not so wonderful to read Joe Bennett’s Press column, in which he proposes that the Cathedral in the Square become a permanent monument to the Canterbury quakes (may be behind a paywall). Christchurch city already has a beautiful memorial for the quakes, on Oxford Terrace, beside the Avon River. The vision for the Cathedral remains that it will reopen and be a continuing witness to our Lord Jesus Christ and his Good News for all humanity, in the heart of our city.
On Sunday a wonderful exhibition in the Cathedral, Cathedral Square Unearthed, closed after 1,500 people were able to participate in it. In good news for those who were unable to obtain tickets to the exhibition, it has now relocated to The Crossing (accessible off Colombo, Lichfield and Cashel Streets) in the centre of Christchurch.
Open Heaven at Wolfbrook Arena, Christchurch, last Thursday evening, involved some 6,000 to 8,000 people drawn from a wide variety of churches around Canterbury. It was a privilege to be present and to take part with one prayer, as Christians united to praise God in song and to pray for our churches, our community and our world.
Among Lenten “extra effort” possibilities this Lent are the following opportunities across our Diocese, March 2026 Quiet Days, when we can participate in Bible study together and then in prayer for the Diocese and for the world. Each Saturday will run 9am to 3pm, with the morning spent in Bible study led by Bishop Peter, and the afternoon in prayer:
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Saturday 7 March, All Saints, Hokitika (Gospel of John chapters 1-3 for the Bible study)
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Saturday 14 March, Church of the Epiphany, Hanmer Springs (Gospel of John chapters 4-6)
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Saturday 21 March, The Anglican Centre, 95 Tuam Street, Christchurch (Gospel of John chapters 7-10)
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Saturday 28 March, St Alban’s, Pleasant Point (Gospel of John chapters 11-13)
All are welcome to the quiet days. Please bring your own lunch or plan to go to a nearby eating place. Morning tea provided.
On the Sundays following the Quiet Days I will then preach and preside in the local church at the main Sunday morning service, except for Sunday 22 March when I will preach and preside at Te Hepara Pai, Te Waipounamu, Ferry Road, Christchurch. It would be a great encouragement to the Parishes of Westland, Hanmer Springs and Temuka-Te Ngawai if some members of the Diocese outside those localities planned to participate in one of those three weekends.
The internationally acclaimed King’s Singers return to Christchurch Town Hall on 11 March 2026 for a very special concert marking Christchurch-born baritone Chris Bruerton‘s final New Zealand performance with the ensemble. Tickets are available online.
The Reverend Sammy Mould will be ordained priest at 7pm on Wednesday 18 March, in the Transitional Cathedral. All are welcome to this service for which the Reverend Lucy Flatt, Vicar of Johnsonville, will be the preacher. Clergy should robe, alb and red stole.
This coming Sunday, 1 March 2026 is Lent 2. The Gospel reading is John 3:1-17. In this Year A of the three-year lectionary cycle, the Sunday gospel readings work through John’s Gospel and the encounters Jesus has with individuals: this Sunday, Jesus and Nicodemus. What stands out for you in this encounter? Nicodemus is eager to learn from Jesus but has to rapidly get up to speed with the message from heaven itself which Jesus brings. This message comes through the great love God has for the world – including you and me (3:16-17).
Arohanui,
+Peter.