Sr Catherine Hannan

During recent years I have been part of the team running Suzanne Aubert Compassion Centre. This vital place centres on the Soup kitchen where breakfast and dinner is served six days a week to people who are seen to be on the margins of society because they are homeless, have addictions to drink, drugs or gambling, are recently out of prison, made redundant or suffer from personality disorders or mental illness. It is a privilege working among these people who can be immensely sensitive and tolerant and full of concern for each other, breaking societal stereotypes. Here is where I meet God’s people.

Sr Catherine with the Apostolic
Prefect of the Church in Nepal

My work at the Centre takes me visiting the sick, elderly and isolated in the inner city and I also regularly “walk the street” and visit the parks, drop in-centres and agencies of the City and Newtown where I meet guest of our Centre and their friends.

Then in collaboration with other agencies we have been advocates for the above people for better health and housing opportunities, benefits and general acceptance in society.

At the heart of all our work are a praying community and people in the city join us at the Mass celebrated every day, at the contemplative prayer session and in the Chapel for quiet prayer away from the Centre.

I am involved in several social justice activities being on the Board of Challenge 2000, which is a bridge between advantaged young people empowering other young people and their families who are at risk. Challenge 2000 also educates youth in social justice.

Sr Catherine outside a
farm worker's house on
a plantation in
north-west Thailand

I am a member of the Justice and Peace Commission which attempts to raise awareness of social justice issues both among the people in the parishes of the Wellington Archdiocese and in wider society. We present submissions to Parliamentary Select committees on Human Rights such as the Employment Relation and Prostitution Reform Bills, as well as conducting public forums on relevant social topics.

I am Chair of the Board of Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand which is part of the international catholic Caritas network in 156 countries endeavouring to eliminate poverty and provide justice through programmes of human rights, conscience and development. Our work is concentrated particularly on the Pacific & Asia and I am the representative on the Asian Partnership for Human Development (APHD). I visit countries in Asia to review programmes we are organising in sustainable agriculture, the empowerment of women and against the trafficking of women and children which is a major evil.

My visit in November to Sri Lanka will be to the war torn north, where there has been years of fighting between the Tamil and the Singhalese people. We shall review interventions by Caritas Sri Lanka in the National Peace Programme, a Relief and Rehabilitation Programme, Human Rights and an awareness programme in their villages on Human Trafficking.

Sister Catherine Hannan
October 2002

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