Monday 27 August 2018

The Privileges and Challenges of using Te Reo in Sunday Liturgy


-   A personal reflection by Fr. James Mulligan

He aha te mea nui o te ao?  What is the most important thing in the world?
He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. It is the people, it is the people, it is the people.

When it comes to following the Holy Spirit’s call through the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, to the foster the full, conscious and active participation of all the baptised in the Church’s liturgy, this Māori proverb speaks to me of the treasures that are to be drawn from the use of Māori cultural elements in the Aotearoa-New Zealand liturgical/pastoral context. 

As a diocesan priest currently serving in the Catholic Parish Community of St Mary’s in Papakura, and in the other Parishes where I’ve been, my deliberate use of Te Reo whilst presiding at the Eucharist and on other occasions (especially at Parish School liturgies) definitely has had its blessings and its challenges! 

What are the blessings?  I believe it has given me an appreciation of certain Māori cultural principles and practices that are contributing towards the development of an authentically Kiwi Catholic spirituality that communicates our faith in a way that speaks of what it means to be a part of this land that we all call home. Key values such as Kaitiakitanga, stewardship of and connection with the natural environment that must be regarded as a Taonga (treasure) that is ours only for a time, to be passed on intact and enhanced with future generations in mind and Manaakitanga, the extension of welcome, hospitality and genuine care to attend to the spiritual and material needs of all. The incorporation of such concepts in the liturgical and pastoral life of the local church is not only part of the role, function or mission of the church, but also a powerful reminder of the church’s commitment to bi-culturalism. This in turn can be seen as the springboard for embracing and fostering the riches of other cultural expressions of faith. 

When I was welcomed into our School Whānau of St Mary’s in Papakura in February this year, I participated in a Powhiri that our school had arranged for newcomers, and I had the privilege of delivering the Mihi (speech) to respond to the welcome on the behalf of the newcomers.  This was a wonderful way to become acquainted with and feel instantly at home in a new pastoral setting. The Manaaki extended by the school drew the newcomers into its community.
I have also presided at funeral masses that included Māori cultural protocols for honouring the dead.  They evoked a sense of what the Māori call Tapu - the sacredness of the deceased as a unique individual in his/her own right and the sacredness of his/her inter-personal relationships with the Whanau (extended family), Marae (meeting place of the local tribe), the wider community and the Whenua (the land itself), which just goes to show that we pray with our whole beings, as a unity of mind, body and spirit.          

The biggest challenge is mindfulness of others’ sensitivities!  How can we use Te Reo in a way that creates an atmosphere of Kotahitanga (unity in a common purpose), where the differences we bring to worship won’t cause division but a genuine appreciation of life and faith through another’s eyes?  How can Te Reo be used in a way that brings out the intrinsic meaning of a liturgical action to enhance the full, conscious and active participation of all, without the taint of tokenism or a perception of excessive political correctness?  How do we reach out with aroha, cultural and pastoral sensitivity to our Māori brothers and sisters whose historical experience of church has been rooted in the Marae rather than that of the Parish? 

Such are the blessings and challenges that I experience on a daily basis as an enthusiastic amateur participant in Te Ao Māori, and such are the thoughts and questions that I pose for further reflection and discussion by minds far wiser than my own...

Ki te tangi a te manu e karanga nei, "Tui, tui, tuituia!"
Tuia i runga, tuia i raro, tuia i roto
Tuia i waho, tuia i te here tangata.

Listen to the cry of the bird calling, "Unite, unite, be one!"
“Unite above, unite below, unite within, unite without, unite in the family of all people...”

Wednesday 22 August 2018

From Ireland to Aotearoa - Honouring the Reo



A reflection by Mairead Gallagher-Pile, teacher St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School Pukekohe

Having moved to New Zealand nearly ten years ago now from the Emerald Isle of Ireland, I noticed many parallels between both Christian countries, which made me feel quite at home.

I took a teaching job in a Catholic primary school in Wellington and felt a real affinity with the school's special character. I particularly enjoyed the waiata for kapa haka and school masses. Interestingly, many of the waiata sung in kapa haka were religious songs. This seemed to me quite fitting since I had learnt that the first book translated to Te Reo was the Bible and the early missionary settlers in Aotearoa really advocated for Māori.

I also learnt about the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles of partnership and active protection. I really feel that encompassing Te Reo in our Church and school liturgies is honouring these principles. Coming from a country, Ireland, which fought so hard for centuries to uphold its language and culture - Gaelic - it makes absolute sense to me that acknowledgement of the language of the land should be a key principle in our prayer and worship. St Patrick's Day mass is celebrated in Gaelic in many parishes of Ireland each year.

When planning school liturgies and masses here in NZ, I would always make sure to incorporate at least one Māori waiata, greeting and prayer. If I didn't, I would have felt the celebration was just a little less rich and I would have regretted a missed opportunity.

I also particularly enjoy the opportunity to do a complete Māori mass where students practise all responses in Te Reo. It instils pride in them for this beautiful Taonga given to them from their Tangata Whenua.


Wednesday 1 August 2018

National Liturgy Office Newsletter

Kia ora tātou katoa, 


There are 3 official languages in New Zealand.  The National Liturgy Office provides resources for the celebration of the Liturgy in English, Te Reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.

Of particular interest in this NLO Quick Guide are references for

  • Waiata Te Miha Māori: Audio files for the Mass setting composed by Richard Puanaki
  • Signed Prayers of the Mass – an invitation to members of the Catholic Deaf community to review the first draft of Signed Prayers of the Mass
  • Catechesis from Pope Francis on The Liturgy of the Eucharist, courtesy of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Some of you forward on this newsletter, others cut and paste items into clergy, parish or school newsletters.  Thank you for everything you do to keep others in the ‘liturgy loop’


Yours in Christ, 

Liturgy Centre Team on behalf of: 

Louise Campbell
Director, National Liturgy Office
New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference
Ph:  +64 9 360.3058
Private Bag 47904
Ponsonby
Auckland 1144