Waitangi Day in New Zealand

On February 6^th New Zealanders hold a National holiday commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1870.  It is considered New Zealand’s founding document.

Brigidines stand in solidarity with our New Zealand Sisters on Waitangi Day – a time of celebration and reflection.
As Indigenous Peoples offer globally, New Zealand’s Maori people bring their deep environmental understanding, respectful cultures, wisdom and hospitality to the community of life.

The Indigenous Peoples of NZ, our Sisters, Brigidine past pupils and friends of Brigidines in New Zealand are in our thoughts.   For all New Zealand citizens, may Waitangi Day be a hope-filled time of reflection, of respectful listening, of inclusive and communal experiences and of gratitude for the country’s rich diversity.

“They are a living cry of hope. They know what it is to listen to (the) Earth, to see (the) Earth, to touch (the) Earth. They remind us that we human beings have a shared responsibility to care for our common home.”

– Pope Francis, Indigenous Peoples Forum,
Rome February 2019