Tena koutou katoa.
Nga mihi nui atawhai.
Matariki: Te Tau Hou Māori or the Maori New Year. Matariki festivities highlight the tangata whenua indigenous view of the world. They remind us of the cycle of life and natural ways of marking the passing of time.

The twinkling of the Matariki stars in the pre-dawn sky heralds a special celebration for young and old. Across New Zealand, people come together to remember their ancestors, share food, sing, tell stories, and play music.

Matariki is a time to gather with family and friends to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and plan for the future. (Te Papa website).

And the celebrations of Matariki coincide with our own annual celebration – Carmel Day. We gather first in our Carmel Day Mass and celebrate Eucharist together, remembering where our name came from the many who have gone before us, who have paved the way for what we have here today.

After a shared morning tea with our invited guests, we all return to the gym for an afternoon of raucous singing and dancing – the concert to end all concerts. Our guest judges try to determine the entertainment value and participation levels of the many acts but really, it is about having fun together.

‘My legacy .. is charity: If you preserve the peace, .. you will feel, even in this world, a happiness that will surprise you and be to you a foretaste of the bliss prepared for every one of you in heaven’. Catherine McAuley.

Enjoy your well-deserved term break.