New Zealand's first Catholic Podcast
Kiwis proud to be talking about happenings in their faith

In this edition of Familia we explore the following questions...

- Does a contraceptive act of sexual intercourse fulfill the Canon Law requirements for Consummation?

- How far is too far when talking about physical intimacy before marriage?

- What is ‘custody of the eyes’, and why is it so important?

- Is it normal to feel like a real ogre when disciplining my kids and can you offer any tips in this area?

We're three years old today...well, yesterday actually.  So, for our celebration episode, we talk about New Zealand as a secular country, Poland struggling with the same, paying to see the Pope in the UK, the battle over the sale of a Auckland Catholic school, and can you sell a confessional box on eBay as a sauna?!? Follow us at facebook.com/station15 or twitter.com/station15. Thanks to all our listeners for the past three years!

Catechiwi -- The Four Marks of the Church Each Sunday, Catholics profess that they believe in a Church that is one, holy, catholic and apostolic. What do those words mean? And how does that differ -- if at all -- from what other Christian denominations believe? Fr Merv Duffy, SM, explains the terms and their importance to the Faith in the month's episode of Catechiwi.

The panel returns with a series of hot topics to tackle this month, including the Belgian police raids that saw a number of a number of Catholic bishops detained as well as the upcoming visit of the Holy Father to the United Kingdom. We also discuss the Vatican's newspaper endorsement of The Blues Brothers and their "Mission from God", with L'Osservatore Romano saying it's undoubtedly a Catholic film. If you're looking for a Catholic spin on some of today's film, you can check out the Australian Catholic Film Office or the United States Bishops' Media Office for reviews.

The Church's calendar is sometimes said to have a "rhythm" as we cycle from Advent to Christmas through Ordinary Time into Lent, Eastertide and back into Ordinary Time. How did this pattern evolve? When did Christians start keeping Sunday as holy, rather than the Jewish Sabbath? Was Jesus really born on December 25? And does it matter? Catechiwi regular Fr Merv Duffy, SM, sheds some light on those questions and others in this month's episode.

With the (Football) World Cup on in South Africa, we could hardly ignore it. But in this month's episode we also mark the close of the Year for Priests, a time of great joy -- and a few challenges -- for the priesthood. We also talk about hell, chastity and work, three topics that don't always follow on from one another with much ease.

Two months ago, it was a discussion on the evangelical counsels: Poverty, chastity and obedience. This month, we're talking about ecumenical councils, and specifically the Council of Nicaea in the fourth century. This was the Council that gave us the Creed we recite on Sundays. In this episode, Fr Merv Duffy, SM, is back to discuss that council and the legacy it left.

Recorded at Hearts Aflame Catholic Summer School in Marton, New Zealand, January 2010.

Part 1 of a 5 part series on Friendship and Ethics

In this month's show, we reflect on the first 5 years of Pope Benedict XVI's pontificate, discuss the upcoming budget from a Catholic perspective, look at the Pope's travels to Malta and the U.K., examine the timing around the new translation of the Missal, and think about sending the Pope a text message! Follow us on facebook.com/station15 or twitter.com/station15.

We often think of Christmas and Easter as the two great feasts of the Church's year -- and they are. But Ascension and Pentecost, the two dates at the end of the season of Easter, are also incredibly important dates in the Catholic calendar. Catechiwi favourite Fr Merv Duffy, SM, returns to the expert's chair to discuss Christ's Ascension into heaven and the descent of the Holy Spirit in this month's episode of Catechiwi.