WelCom May 2024

The National Catholic Education Convention, a large-scale event for Catholic educators from throughout the country, will be hosted in Wellington, 19–21 June, 2024.

The convention will bring together Catholic educators, bishops, priests, school board members and a range of others associated with the Catholic education system.

‘The last National Catholic Education Convention was held in 2018 and was a very successful event,’ says Dr Kevin Shore, Chief Executive of the NZ Catholic Education Office (NZCEO). The convention normally happens every three years but the pandemic has meant a gap of six years.

‘It is exciting to see that almost 600 individuals have registered for the conference, as at mid-April 2024. NZCEO is hoping to have over 700 registrations for this event.

‘Those who attend this conference can be assured there will be a range of spiritual, social and educational events and opportunities for them to engage with. The national convention is the opportunity to celebrate all things Catholic with a focus on those who serve with an educative focus in the Church.’

The theme of the convention is Tūhono Whakapono: Together, one faith community. It will feature a number of international and national key note speakers, including:

• Dr. Sandra Cullen, Associate Professor of Religious Education and Head of the School of Human Development at Dublin City University.
• Dr Joe Paprocki, the National Consultant for Faith Formation for Loyola Press. Dr Paprocki has been in pastoral ministry for over 40 years and authored over 20 books.
• Manuel Beasley, the Vicar for Māori in the Diocese of Auckland.
• Tim Wilson, the Executive Director of Maxim Institute. Before taking up this role, Tim was an award-winning print, radio and television journalist.

‘The convention includes 23 high-quality seminars organised into four strands so there is plenty to stimulate debate and discussion among participants,’ says Kevin Shore. ‘These strands include Catholic school board governance, Catholic special character, Religious Education and the wider curriculum and the Church today.’

Catholic schools make up 8.1 per cent of the total schooling provision for New Zealand children. The Catholic school system educates around 66,000 students.

Registration is open at: cathedconvention.co.nz

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