Family Life Catholic Gifts

07/09/2026

The Embracing Human Dignity youth event is for young people aged 13-18. There will be a break out session where Sr Giovanna Maria will speak to the girls about femininity and Fr Shenan Boquet will talk to the boys about masculinity - topics that desperately need to be addressed today with youth. There will be time for prayer and confession as well as lots of fun, food (plenty of food you can be sure of that), and fellowship with youth from around the Auckland diocese (and maybe further afield). Please spread the word and make sure our young people are given the opportunity to hear important truths about their dignity (and that of their peers) as a child of God.

Super excited to have Sister Giovanna-Maria joining us as a speaker!

31/08/2026

September is going to be a big month!

Five events. Incredible speakers. Prayer, formation, fellowship and plenty of reasons to hope.

From Mount Maunganui to Auckland, there's something for everyone — young people, families, educators, clergy, and anyone wanting to understand and live our Catholic faith more deeply.

Which one will we see you at?

Take a look — and bring a friend!

See all the events and find out more at www.fli.org.nz/prolifeevents

31/08/2026

We wanted to share something special happening this September!

Family Life International NZ has an incredible two weeks planned, with five events bringing together faith, life and family, and there really is something for everyone.

From Mount Maunganui to Auckland, there will be opportunities to pray, learn, be encouraged and spiritually renewed, and to meet others who share a desire to build a culture of life and a civilisation of love.

🔶Hope for the World – International Conference on Life, Faith & Family
🔶Day of Prayer for Life & Family
🔶Begotten Not Made Seminar
🔶Embracing Human Dignity Youth Event
🔶Demystifying Death with Dignity

Swipe through to see what's happening and find the event — or events! — for you.

Come for one. Come for several. Bring your family or a friend and be part of something that brings hope to our families, our Church and our country.

Find out more:
All upcoming events: www.fli.org.nz/prolifeevents
Hope for the World Conference: www.fli.org.nz/prolifeconference2026

18/08/2026

We hope to see you at the Hope for the World Conference on life, faith and family!

Early Bird Prize Draw closes this Thursday!

It has been very encouraging to see people from beyond New Zealand registering for the Hope for the World conference this September. Delegates from Australia and the Philippines have already registered. We are also privileged to have the Apostolic Nunciature represented.

This is shaping up to be a very special gathering of people who care deeply about life, faith and family, all coming together to be informed, equipped, inspired and for the most important work of building a culture of life and a civilisation of love.

If you have been thinking about joining us, now's the time!

Register by Thursday 20 August and you’ll go into the draw to win our beautiful Holy Family prize.

Hope for the World: International Conference on Life, Faith and Family
25–27 September | Auckland

Register now: www.fli.org.nz/prolifeconference2026

01/08/2026

12/05/2026

Today, May 13th, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, 109 years ago, commemorating the first apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, in 1917. The apparitions, which occurred over a small oak tree, are characterized by a lady dressed in white, "more brilliant than the sun".

23/04/2026

If you enter a Catholic church, you will nearly always spot a sanctuary lamp burning near the tabernacle, which is where the communion hosts are reserved after Mass. They are kept in this way for two reasons: first, so that Holy Communion can be taken to the sick and housebound when necessary; and second, so we can continue to worship Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

Jesus Christ remains present here in the communion hosts, in what we call the Blessed Sacrament. This is not just a metaphor or a symbol. He is truly present – Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity – in all His Power and Glory and Majesty. So if a church appears to be empty, we know that we are never alone.

Whenever we come near to the tabernacle, even if the Blessed Sacrament is not exposed, we come into His hidden but powerful presence; Heaven is laid open before us; and we can adore Him and share our lives with him in a most intimate and profound way. We can speak to Him, heart to heart. It is like Moses meeting the Lord in the burning bush, or the disciples walking up the mountain with Christ at the time of his Transfiguration.

This is such a consolation, knowing that he is with us in this way. When we go to Mass on Sundays, it makes us want to be more reverent – from the moment we enter the church to the moment we leave. We want to be more and more conscious of His loving presence. We genuflect to Him as we enter and leave our places. We pray to Him as we prepare for Mass and after it has ended. We remember that we are in the Court of Heaven, in the presence of our King, in the company of this visible community, and with the hidden presence of all the angels and saints.
We unite ourselves with Christ, through the Holy Spirit, in his praise and thanksgiving to the Father.

14/04/2026

Divine Mercy Sunday having just passed, we still recite the Chaplet and remember the great Mercy and Love of God, daily, especially for poor sinners...

20/03/2026

PASSION SUNDAY - PASSION WEEK
This tradition of covering statues during Lent is more than merely a superficial alteration of our surroundings. It carries profound spiritual significance, inviting us to delve deeper into the mystery of Christ's sacrifice and our journey of conversion. When we walk into church and notice everything is covered, we immediately know something is different. These last two weeks of Lent are meant to be a time of immediate preparation for the Sacred Triduum, and these veils are a forceful reminder to get ready. The Church uses veils to produce a heightened anticipation for Easter Sunday. This is further actualized when you attend daily Mass and see the veils each day.

But even as we contemplate the tomb's darkness, we do so with the hope of Easter on the horizon. The veiling of the statues is but a temporary measure, a prelude to the joyous celebration of Christ's Resurrection. Just as the covering will be removed on Easter Sunday, so will the light of Christ pierce through the darkness of sin and death, bringing new life and hope to all who believe.

As we journey through this season of Lent, may we embrace the symbolism of the covered statues as a reminder of Christ's sacrifice and our call to conversion. May we strip away the world's distractions and enter a deeper relationship with our crucified and risen Lord. May we eagerly anticipate the joy of Easter, when the veil will be lifted, and we will behold the glory of our Resurrected Savior.

10/02/2026

11th February 2026 - 167th anniversary of Our Lady's apparitions at Lourdes. Thanks be to God for sending His Holy Mother.