WelCom, September 2024

Grace Morton and Peter Lang, Advocacy Analysts, Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand

Choose forgiveness, know peace – Kōwhiria te murunga hara, me mōhio ki te rangimārie

Caritas’ Social Justice Week 2024 is coming up and this year it runs from 8–14 September. During this week, Caritas invites you to join Catholic parishes and schools across New Zealand in exploring how we can give effect to peace and forgiveness in our lives. We have produced a range of resources for parishes and schools to help get involved with Social Justice week 2024.

Social Justice Week was established by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference in 1997. It serves as an ongoing commitment in the Catholic calendar to consider, reflect and act on a particular current social justice issue through the lens of Catholic social teaching.

Imagine Peace for All! Pohewatia te Rangimārie mō te Katoa!

Last year Caritas introduced a three-year Social Justice Week theme on peace and conflict, with the resources each year expanding on the previous year’s material. The overarching focus for the three years is ‘Imagine Peace for All! | Pohewatia te Rangimārie mō te Katoa!’.

Choose forgiveness, know peace Kōwhiria te murunga hara, kia mōhio ki te rangimārie

The Social Justice Week tagline for 2024 is ‘Choose forgiveness, know peace | Kōwhiria te murunga hara, kia mōhio ki te rangimārie.’

The focus is on forgiveness and reconciliation.

We are shifting the perspective from personal peace – which we explored last year – and we are looking at how to relate to others from a Christian view and rebuild peace that may have been lost or broken.

Forgiveness is something we all experience, whether we are giving it or receiving it. When we decide to choose forgiveness, we are on the right track to peace.

Reflection and liturgy guides

Caritas has prepared a reflection guide for individuals or prayer groups to explore these themes. The guide looks at each step in the process of forgiveness and reconciliation, drawing on case studies and Catholic social teaching, while encouraging prayer and reflection. There is also a liturgy guide to assist parishes developing a Mass with this focus.

Comprehensive resources for schools

Caritas has also prepared comprehensive resources to inspire learners in Catholic schools. These include stories with activities, liturgies and action templates for students. Daily prayer videos in English, New Zealand Sign Language, te reo Māori, and Tongan are also included.

Video series

Schools and parishes across the country have contributed reflections on peace to a video series that is available on our website.

Caritas hopes the resources will be a starting point for reflection, discussion, and action, to encourage peacebuilding, reconciliation and forgiveness in our communities. They can be used at any time of the year, and by anyone.

All Social Justice Week resources for 2024 and 2023 are available on the Caritas website at: caritas.org.nz/parishes/social-justice-week 

Join us in celebrating Social Justice Week from 8–14 September!

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