Ni sa bula vinaka! My name is Travina and I’ve been happily involved with the Catholic Chaplaincy for over 8 years now, first experiencing its hospitality as a student. I feel it a great privelege to work here, meeting new students and staff and sharing in their tertiary experiences of learning and growing. One of the highlights of my job is the bittersweet experience of attending graduations. It is a time to party and celebrate as a community while at the same time having to say good-bye to people we have come to call friends. Yet somehow the joy of the occasion always wins out because the future has hope and possibility! They may come back for further study!

I look forward to meeting you and welcome you warmly to Kohanga, the Catholic Chaplaincy. It is a special place in the middle of busy life to just rest and be for a little while before your next class. Help yourself to a hot drink, the library with great reading and a chapel for prayer. Also we have a free lunch every Monday for you. Read on for further details. God bless you. Travina

I’m delighted to be joining the Chaplaincy Team at Kohanga for 2½ days a week. I was involved in Tertiary Chaplaincy in Auckland for the last few years and love the work. I’m a member of the Cenacle Sisters Community in Johnsonville and love our ministry of “companioning people on their faith journey in the midst of life”.

I enjoy being involved in retreat work, spiritual direction, justice issues and 12 Step work. In my time off I go to the gym, grow veggies in our garden and do some decorative painting.

Going to World Youth Day in Sydney with the Kohanga group was a highlight of 2008 for me.

Come and have a conversation about your experience of God and life.

The Chaplains | About Us | Exploring Faith

Josephine is a very talented cake maker, coordinator and conversationalist. While she is only in for two days per week, she is a big part of the community here. One of her most important functions is to cook up the Monday Lunch, our FREE weekly meal!

I am a Sister of Compassion. Since joining the Congregation in 1972, I have worked in many areas of the Sisters’ ministry in New Zealand and in Fiji. Currently I am based at the Suzanne Aubert Compassion Centre aka The Soup Kitchen here in Wellington, which serves breakfast and an evening meal to the disadvantaged and I also visit in the community. I love working in the community, particularly with young adults – sharing our gifts so openly and developing relationships of trust. I was blessed to travel to World Youth Day Cologne in 2005 with youth from Hawke’s Bay, and to the World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney with the Wellington Chaplaincy group. I am on campus at Kohanga on Wednesdays. Come along for a cuppa.

Kieran is a Marist Brother who lives at the Grove, a community of young adults and Marist Brothers at Waterloo, Lower Hutt. He is also one of New Zealand’s top Catholic scripture scholars, has taught at the Wellington Catholic Education Centre, and the Bible College of New Zealand. We are fortunate enough to have him share his wisdom through a weekly bible study, open to all.

To be a place of nurturing and care for all who need it in the tertiary learning communities of Wellington, sharing the love of Jesus in a hospitable way and walking with all members of these communities wherever they are at.

The Chaplains | About Us | Exploring Faith

Chaplaincy is not so much a thing that is, as a thing that’s done. It’s about relating to people, sharing stories, ups and downs, challenges and successes. It’s also something that can be done in a chapel, a café, a corridor… wherever people bump into each other. We’re a Catholic Chaplaincy, but this says much more about where we come from than where you need to be, so regardless of where you stand on faith issues, feel free to get involved in anything we have on offer.

Check out the Weekly Timetable to see what’s on and where during term, and the What’s On for other events happening during the year. And if we’re not where you are, Contact Us and we’ll come to you!

Hospitality: Providing friendship and hospitality is central to why we are here. We have a comfy and relaxed style lounge room where people can feel at home. You are welcome to come in and use the phone, grab yourself a coffee, tea or milo. If you’re around on Mondays you could even join us for our famous free lunch at 12.15 – there really is such a thing! And if there is anything else that we may be able to help with, then please ask!

Spirituality: Faith is a funny thing. It really is completely different for everyone. How we choose to express it depends on who we are, where we come from and our life experiences. So, whatever your flavour of spirituality, know that this is a place where you can grow in your faith. Hopefully, we can all learn something from each others way of living out their faiths. And, if you ever want someone to talk to about it, then we are happy to do that too!

Liturgies & Prayer Times: Here, there is a desire to celebrate the ‘goodness’ of God all around us and within us. This year will bring many opportunities to gather and experience Jesus in the midst. As well as Mass and regular prayer groups, we mark some special celebrations during the year, such as Ash Wednesday and World Youth Day (Palm Sunday). We’re pretty creative, so come, enjoy, and be surprised. We can also put you in touch with other young adult prayer groups at Vic and around Wellington. See the weekly timetable for details.

The Chaplains | About Us | Exploring Faith