Communities | Caritas

Caritas provides resources for prayer and reflection, and inspires action.

Our Community Engagement team meets with a wide variety of communities - including parishes, youth groups, social justice advocates, Māori communities, supporters, tertiary and ethnic chaplaincies and religious orders to work for a world free of poverty and injustice. We work to educate and inform people about the causes of poverty and injustice, and also promote reflection and action for a fair and just world. Special resources are provided each year for Lent, Social Justice Week, St Francis Day and the Day of Prayer for Refugees and Migrants.

Our Advocacy & Research publications keep people up-to-date on development and justice issues, and provide specialist research on key topics. Throughout the year we are also involved in advocacy work – including submissions to government and other institutions.

We can also help with providing speakers and people for workshops, seminars, parish or community events.

Lent

Lent is a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving in preparation for Easter. Each year the Lent Appeal is run by Caritas on behalf of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference (NZCBC) to support our work of charity and justice for the poorest and most vulnerable around the world, including in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Day of Prayer for Refugees and Migrants

A Day of Prayer for Refugees and Migrants is set aside each year to fall as close as possible to World Refugee Day on 20 June. Caritas prepares resources for this day on behalf of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference.

Principles of Catholic social teaching

Our work is based on Gospel values and Catholic social teaching (CST), and these principles underpin all the work we do.

Connect with us

Caritas is a charitable agency which works to make a difference in the lives of people living with poverty or injustice. We work with a variety of groups including agencies such as St Vincent de Paul, Catholic Social Services and Christian Council of Social Services to promote the work of justice, peace and development around the world, including in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Social Justice Week

Each year the Catholic Bishops of New Zealand set aside a week in September for Social Justice Week, inviting us to reflect and take action on a current social justice issue.