From Antoine Tajalle

Dear Antoine Tajalle,

I apologize for the delay in publishing your comments.  For some reason, a few comments have ended up in my spam box, and I have not checked my spam in a while.  It appears that the first half of your comment was in my spam box while the other half went to my inbox.  This is about the third time comments that should have gone into my inbox ended up in my spam box.  At any rate, I placed all three of your comments together as an entry post: 

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Antoine TajalleFebruary 20, 2015 at 1:40 AM

Diana, If I could, please allow me to respond to comments that have been addressed to me over at the junglewatch blog. I only commented on that blog in response to an anonymous commenter who called me out. I refuse to directly comment on that site. You may have to post it as a new entry. I apologize for having to do this here but I am encouraged to do so because I know you will guarantee its publication

1. My whole intent in commenting was to request to meet with the individual who did not have enough courage to identify himself/herself but had the decency to name me. I was really bothered by this because, they connected me to a previous comment whereas the writer used the quote from Padre Pio, PRAY HOPE AND DONT WORRY. This quote is seen as my signature on any email correspondence that I may have. This is where it hurts me, my email activity is very limited, I only correspond with close friends and family.

2. The experiences that I decided to share, were my experiences. As usual the bots have decided to take it into their hands to criticize and analyze my personal experiences.

3. In no way was my intention to "drag" Father Mike Crisostomo into my attempt to meet this individual. I did not want to share with the whole world but to put things to rest let it be known, that as soon as a commenter accused me of dragging Father Mike into this, I requested and did meet with him that same evening to reconcile and be clear of any misunderstanding.

4. In the same instance that I was accused of inappropriately dragging someone else into this, another commenter decided to drag my dear grandmother into this. Despite the commenter remaining anonymous I am very aware of who this is. This person was walking in CP and is very unstable, I will excuse and forgive them for this, because just as close as I am to my grandmother, he is also.

AnonymousFebruary 18, 2015 at 12:07 AM
Antoine, this is the second instance that I have witnessed your bringing up father mike's name in a conversation about neo vs nonneo. Sure, you prefaced it with "I have a lot of respect for father mike" etc etc but you end that thought with the same divisive tone that permeates the entirety of your comment. What's your beef with him? Don't answer that, I'm not looking for an answer. Just disturbing to me that while you get your panties in a bunch about somebody naming you, you do the same thing by dragging father mike's name into this conversation. Lest there be any doubt of the division in our church, you have just provided the final nail. Thanks. And can't wait to hear your answers.

5. In my initial response I shared the experience of gossip, myself being shunned and excluded from certain things. An anonymous commenter from the San Dimas Parish decided to go ahead and share their judgement of myself. To that I would like to explain a few things.

- I was not speaking solely about my parish of San Dimas. If you knew me better you should have known that my ministry goes beyond the parish. I go where I am called. In regards to the Parish, you would have known also that I personally followed Father Mike to Toto, I left the parish for some time, but Father Mike instilled something in me that I never forgot. San Dimas is my Parish and will always be, even when a priest is transferred I should stay and support the new pastor and continue to minister.

-If you knew what and how things are happening in the Parish you would also know that I am not a Fuel Pump Catholic. I do not go to Mass, leave and come back when my tank is empty. This is fine for some but not for me. If you see me speeding away into the office during the blessing of the food, opening of the table, did it ever dawn on you, who was actually planning these events? Im not sharing this to boast but let me tell you, there is nothing more on my mind than that of the parish. If you think I was being paid for my endless hours in the office, think again, it was all voluntary. How long have I been directing the choir? Since ever since. Almost every Pre-Con and Confirmation retreat for the past 15 years, was organized by me and with the help of others from around the island. Who was organizing the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with the Youth during Father Wolcheks term? Who took the lead when the parish co-hosted the Archdiocesan World Youth Day? Whos idea was it to have a Parish Picnic? Who helps Father Luis plan the pilgrimages? Who took the lead in the week long summer camp last year? Who designs and publishes all the posters and holiday cards for the seasons? Who reminds the different liturgists of things that need to happen? Who cleans the office? Who is still pushing for the bathrooms to have a waterless tank system because our water bill is too high? Who is constantly thinking of ways that we can possibly raise funds for our mortgage loan? Who is concerned about the water coming up through the church floor? Who is pointing out that we do not have any designated Disabled Parking? Who organized the fundraiser Dinner this past December that put us ahead in our financial obligations? Many others also assisted, but if you didnt know, we are very few these days, and we continue to look into ways to get more to begin helping out or to return to the parish.

 

These are insufficient compared to the graces that I have received from the Lord. In no way have I mentioned these things to boast about them. All I know is that my retirement benefits are out of this world. But Please do not criticize me about running away into the office when its time to eat. Get real! Can a brother have a seat sometime? Have you seen the way I walk? If I could run into the office I would. Dont ever say that I have separated myself from the parish. I cant even find a job because I struggle with the fact that i may not be able to devote as much time to the parish. I wish I could be on Payroll at the Parish office, just to help me out with a minimal amount, but this looks distant for the time being. I accept donations if you are a cheerful giver...your prayers(minus your judgement is sufficient enough).

Lastly, remember, I am the one with the recording of the parish ministers talking about the NCW inside the church and in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. If you have proof of the contrary, please share.

6. There were questions addressed to me in junglewatch and to that I would like to say, I will not answer it. Not because I cant but because past experience speaks for itself in the jungle. They want answers but when we give them the answers they are not satisfied. Its the same in regards to the Archbishop, they want him to explain his actions and when he does, they still have a problem with it. Also, what I did say was when I am approached with questions from close friends and family, I answer. I do not have any friends or family with the name "anonymous". I have the courage to use my name, use yours.

 

Jesus, Take The Wheel

It has been awhile since I publish a song in my blog.  I love this song sung by Carrie Underwood.  In the NCW, many times we say to leave it up to God. There are times we experience problems beyond our control, and all we can do is pray.  God has a way of making things right, and He does it on His own time. Only God can bring a good out of an evil deed.  For example, the greatest evil committed by mankind is the killing of God's only Begotton Son, Jesus Christ.  Yet, as a result of His death and resurrection came the redemption of mankind. Despite the trials, persecutions, and tribulations that we go through, God will come through in the end and His Will be done.  

Giving To The Church

Mark 12:41-44  Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.  But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.  Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.  They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

I find this gospel reading interesting.  Why?  Well, first of all....it started out saying that Jesus sat down opposite the place where people were giving their money for the temple treasury.  Apparently, Christ had an interest in seeing who was giving money to the church treasury. Jesus was there watching the people giving money into the temple treasury.  Of course, God does not need the money, and Jesus knows this.  The money is used for the maintenance of the temple as the Jewish people gather there to pray despite that the Pharisees were hypocrites.  Notice that Jesus never told the people not to put the money into the temple because the Pharisees were hypocrites?  He never told the people not to support the Pharisees with their money. The temple at that time was the house of God....a house of prayer, and Christ was angry when people used His Father's house as a marketplace.  Nevertheless, God was watching and looking into people's hearts as they made their contribution to the church.   

As Christ stayed there watching the people, the only time He got up was to praise a poor widow who put all she has into the temple treasury.  He called His disciples and told them that the poor widow gave all she had because she trusted God.  Christ was looking into the hearts of the people as they were contributing their money to the church treasury.  He wanted to know just how much they trusted God.  The rich gave out of their wealth, but the poor woman, out of her poverty, put in everything. 

Another interesting thing about this story is that Christ never stopped the poor woman from contributing money to the church treasury.  Why?  Because even the poor who used the Church to pray in must also contribute.  God rewards all those who contributed into the Church treasury, not because of the money but because of their trust in Him and the love for His house of prayer.   
 

 

The Weapons Of Their Warfare

A friend of mine emailed this to me.  :) 

Infallibility

An anonymous commenter under one of the threads stated the following: 

"So there are particular and certain circumstances where the Church invokes "infallibility".  The catechism is not one of these.  Of course, it contains infallible pronouncements, but it also contains much that is not infallible."   

First of all, infallibility is the inability to make errors in ALL matters of FAITH and MORALS.  Outside of "faith" and "morals", the Pope can make an error.  For example, if the Pope were to determine who will win the next presidential election, he can make an error because political elections have nothing to do with "faith" or "morals."  It is only in the realm of teaching "faith" and "morals" that he cannot make an error.  The entire Catechism of the Catholic Church is a book of "faith" and "morals."  There is nothing political or scientific in the Catechism.  As a matter of fact, if one were to examine the table of contents in the entire Catechism of the Catholic Church, it shows nothing but "faith" and "morals" (See the weblink below):  

Catechism of the Catholic Church

I asked the anonymous commenter where in the Catechism of the Catholic Church did he/she find that the Catechism is NOT infallible.  And this was his/her response:  

AnonymousFebruary 20, 2015 at 4:02 PM

Dear Diana,

your first mistake is to understand that something that is "non-infallible" = error.

Sometimes I wonder how you function at all when you make such basic mistakes of logic. If something is "fallible" it simply means that there is a possibility of "error" - not that it is in fact "error".

So before we even address your question - can you finally understand this (oh so subtle) issue? If not, we're not going to get very far....

In response to this, I stand corrected.  Fallible does mean to be able to make an error.  The problem, however, is that you are saying that the Catechism of the Catholic Church is prone to error (fallible) when the Church already teaches that the Pope and the teaching Magisterium has infallibility in ALL matters of "faith" and "morals", which is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church consist of.  The Catechism is the entire DOCTRINES of the Church regarding "faith" and "morals."    In fact, according to the Catechism (the bold is mine):

CCC 2051  The infallibility of the Magisterium of the Pastors extends to all the elements of doctrine, including moral doctrine, without which the saving truths of the faith cannot be preserved, expounded, or observed. 

The Anonymous commenter goes on to cite one of the Catechism as being "fallible."  According to the Anonymous commenter:

I gave you a couple of examples - the just war; and the death penalty.  Lets see what the CCC says about the death penalty: 

"2267 Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.

Just war and the death penalty are MORAL doctrines, which falls under infallibility according to Church teaching.  So, CCC 2267 is an infallible truth.  You need to find something in the Catechism that has nothing to do with "faith" or "morals" in order for it to be declared NOT infallible. 

There are only two doctrines in the history of the Church that has been declared "infallible" by ex cathedra.  Those two doctrines are the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  However, this does not mean that all other things the Church has taught is NOT infallible.  The Incarnation, for example, was never declared in ex cathedra but it is an infallible truth.  

Christ said that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  By declaring that He is the Truth, He is also saying that He is infallible. Christ cannot make a miskake or error. Christ promised to lead His Church into all truths.  The Catechism of the Catholic are her doctrines of faith and morals, which all Catholics are supposed to follow.  In other words, there is absolutely no errors or even possibility of errors in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  Furthermore, the anonymous commenter stated (the bold is mine):  

There are many, many similar teachings of the Church, that are not considered "infallible."  But as Cardinal Ratzinger said, we must take the Catechism as a whole, and treat it as the authoritative utterance of the Magisterium.  

Notice how the language leaves the question open to debate?  

Being open to debate does not mean that it is "fallible". Furthermore, as you stated:  Cardinal Ratzinger said we must take the Catechism as a whole and treat it as the authoritative utterance of the Magisterium.  So, why not follow what the former Pope said?  Why bother to seek your own authority rather than the authority of the Magisterium who has the charism of infallibility?  It is said that the Catholic Church has the fullness of Truth; therefore, for a Church who possess the fullness of truth, there could not even be a possibility of error where "faith" and "morals" are concerned. 

Suffering Of The Innocents

According to the information we received at the Lenten Announcement, this concert "The Suffering Of The Innocents" brought the Jewish people and the Catholic Church closer together.   As a result, there will be a retreat for Jewish Rabbis sometime after Easter, in which will involve  Kiko Arguello, the Founder of the Neocatechumenal Way.  The Jews have approached Kiko and asked his help in transmitting the faith to their children who have been heavily influenced by the secular world.   

To Father Matthew Blockley

I am going to publish the comment you made in this entry post. 

Fr.Matthew Blockley. has left a new comment on your post "Lenten Announcement":

I know your beauty secret . It's called embalming. 

This is the fourth time you have made a comment in my blogsite, and I have not published any of it.  However, I have decided to put this one in an entry post to show the kind of priest you are.  This statement is very unbecoming of a Catholic priest.  It is an insult to the collar you wear. 
 

Bridge Of Love Between Jews And Christians

Jewish and Christian relationship has improved through the Neocatechumenal Way especially after the concert "Suffering of the Innocents."  The concert touched the hearts of many Jews especially when "Shema" was sung.  The following is an interview between Zenit and Rabbi Opert dated July 3, 2013: 

The initiative of dialogue between Catholics and Jews undertaken by the Neocatechumenal Way by means of the birth of the Symphony Orchestra and Choir of the Neocatechumenal Way, and the execution of the catechetical symphonic celebration of the Suffering of the Innocents, is helping to renew and strengthen relations between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people in all parts of the world.

Recently the Symphony has been played in front of the "Gate of Death" of the extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, in the presence of 6 cardinals, 50 bishops, 35 rabbis and 15,000 people from all over the world. The dialogue and mutual knowledge that this event stimulated between the Jewish and the Catholic worlds has also reached the communities of the Neocatechumenal Way in South Africa, who had the honor to invite Rabbi Bryan Opert of the synagogue of Milnerton, Cape Town, to the Symphonic-Catechetical celebration in Auschwitz. Rabbi Opert gives spoke on his experience.

Q. Rabbi Opert, what is it of this event that touched you the most?

Rabbi Opert: I must say that the symphony was fantastic, but the moment that touched me the most is when the prayer of the Shema Israel - Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one - was performed by the orchestra and sung in chorus by all the 15,000 pilgrims who had come here from every part of Europe. Praying the Shemá along with all these people is something that in my entire life I had never experienced. Something that goes beyond the simple joy or sadness, it was a greater feeling, that almost overtook me.

Q.  What is your experience of relations between Jews and Catholics?

Rabbi Opert: Personally I witness in the South African reality a great interest of the Christian world for the Jewish religion. Many Christians come to us asking to deepen the roots of their faith. To attend this event in Auschwitz has been for me a confirmation that we are living a special moment in the relations between Jews and Catholics. I was impressed at the end of the concert, looking at the thousands of people leaving the area of ​​the concert, walking along those tracks that once brought to death. All those people, the majority of whom are Catholic, noticing that I am a rabbi smiled at me and greeted me with great affection and joy! This witness of love, in the place where less than 70 years ago the tragedy of the Holocaust took place, was incredible… Truly shocking!

Q.  What do the Jewish and Catholic communities have in common today?

Rabbi Opert: Today, especially in the countries where the Catholic Church is a minority, like South Africa, we are facing many common challenges. We are religious minorities in the midst of a secular world, and we must give an ever more authentic witness of our religion to be able to transmit it to the next generations. I was struck in particular to learn that the Neocatechumenal Way gives much attention to the formation of adults. This is also our challenge. Many people, because of their professionalism and preparation, interact with the secular world at a very high level, but at the same time they are not capable to live their religion with the same depth and knowledge. This can lead them to move away from the community, or to lose interest in it. We need to answer to their thirst!

Q. The rediscovery of the Jewish roots is central in the experience of the Neocatechumenal Way, especially when it comes to the transmission of the faith to the children.

Rabbi Opert: I was also impressed to hear Kiko Arguello talk about the importance of the defense of the Judeo-Christian family. The basic principles that we are ‘fighting’ for are so similar, solid family foundations, meaning in life and a spiritual core to existence.

Q. In these days you had a chance to meet personally Kiko and various others Rabbis and personalities of the Catholic Church. What has touched you the most of all these encounters?

Rabbi Opert: I feel that I cannot end of the interview without mentioning the personality of Kiko. It is rare to meet a man of such humility. Kiko for me embodied this on so many different levels. In a world that is so impressed with titles and letters that follow ones name, Kiko is an absolute anomaly. Not only is this not his name, which I thought it might be in the beginning, it is his nickname and that is how he is known and called, by all. For a man who is the initiator of The Way with 1 000 000 adherents access to him is so easy. I felt an incredible desire to thank him in person and could walk straight up to him and share my feelings and gratitude with him. It takes a truly extraordinary leader to be so ordinary. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to meet Kiko and to have been at the symphony.

Q. Any final thoughts?

Rabbi Opert: I must add that the organisation of the event was superb. Everything seemed to run like clockwork. I know what it is like to organize an event and it takes months of preparation, planning and especially prayer to make sure that on the day everything runs smoothly. And so it did. In fact it looked effortless. This added to the atmosphere of joy and delight in the experience.

http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/a-bridge-of-love-between-jews-and-Christians

Lenten Announcement

The NCW received a lot of good news last night at the Lenten Announcement.  First of all, Pope Francis plans to see Kiko Arguello very soon because he would like to send more mission families out into the world in places where the Church would be built. 

Secondly, the Bishop of Osaka, Japan has asked for two mission families in the Neocatechumenal Way!  Imagine that!!! Japan is asking for two mission families from the NCW.  This only goes to show that the NCW is actively evangelizing despite that some of the Bishops in Japan would not allow them to have the Eucharist on Saturday night.  I was actually surprised to hear this news about Japan. 

In the third place, after Easter, there will be a convivience for all Bishops.  And for the first time in history, there will also be a convivience for Rabbis.  Many Jewish Rabbis have asked Kiko assistance in transmitting the faith to their children who are have strongly been influenced by the secular world.  Some good news were also given about Carmen who had been ill for some time.  The surgery she went through was a success, and she is slowly recuperating.  God still wants her to continue the work with Kiko Arguello. 

In the fourth place, it was great to see the huge number of people that filled up the cathedral last night.  All the communities were presented.  Agana and Barrigada has the largest number of communities as usual.  I think it is worth noting that despite that Agana is the smallest Church on Guam, it has one of the largest communities. 

Finally, the catechesis occurring in some of our parishes are doing well.  The catechests have reported that about 10-30 people have been attending the on-going catechesis.  

Seminarian To Be Ordain Deacon

On Saturday, February 14th, a seminarian, Pedro Luis Durango Agudelo of Columbia will be ordained a transitional deacon - meaning that he will later be ordained as a priest.  Pedro is from the Redemptoris Mater Archdicosan Missionary Seminary in Yona and has completed the requirements for Diaconal Ordination.  Congratualtions Pedro!!!! 

The Way In Japan

At the beginning of the year retreat last October, Father Pius explained that the controversy of the Neocatechumenal Way in Japan is different than in Guam.  He cited that the Bishop in Japan felt that the Neocatechumenal Way was too European.  That was also one of the leaked information that became public along with Cardinal Burke's letter.  According to the National Catholic Reporter (the bold is mine): 

The presence of the Neocatechumenate in Japan has long caused friction with the local bishops, who imposed a moratorium on their activity in 2010. At the time, Bottari launched a mediation process between the bishops and the movement.

In his report, extracts from which were published in the recent book His Holiness: The Secret Papers of Benedict XVI by Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi, Bottari writes that the Neocatechumenate symbolizes a broad failure on the part of the Catholic church to understand Japan’s culture.

“Here, I would say, stands the controversial point and the difficulties posed by the method of the members of the Neocatechumenal Way. From what one sees, they come and apply, to the letter, a method born and prepared in Europe, without caring about adapting to the local world. I’ve found among them here in Japan the same style that I saw in Cameroon, where I was a missionary twenty years ago; the same songs (with the guitar), the same expressions, the same catechesis, all transmitted with a style based more on imposition than proposition. One can thus understand the tensions, disagreements and reactions they generate, which sometimes find them little disposed to dialogue. Their intentions are certainly admirable, their good will, but insertion in the local culture is missing. This, in my modest opinion, is what the local Japanese bishops are asking of them – to take off the European dress in order to present the heart of the message in a purified way close to the people.”

National Catholic Reporter

Father Pius claimed that the problem in Japan was that the Japanese bishops felt the Way was too European, and the jungle had called Father Pius a liar.  We now know from the leaked information that Father Pius was speaking the truth. It did not have anything to do with the teachings of the Way.  The bishops in Japan know that the teachings of the Way are Catholic, but felt it was too European and did not take the Japanese culture in consideration.  What the Japanese bishops ask is that they take off the European dress and present it more according to the local culture.  

Cardinal Raymond Burke

Cardinal Raymond Burke was the chief of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura who wrote a letter to Cardinal Bertone, the Secretariat of State.  Cardinal Burke received an invitation to participate in the Eucharistic celebration of the Neocatechumenal Way.  The letter was dated January 14, 2012.  In his letter, Cardinal Burke wrote (the bold and underlined are mine): 

“As a cardinal and a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, I cannot avoid expressing to Your Eminence the surprise this invitation caused me. I do not recall having heard a consultation regarding a particular liturgy for this ecclesial movement. In recent days, I’ve received expressions of concern regarding papal approval, which they already knew about, from various persons, including a respected bishop in the United States. I regarded them as rumor and speculation, but now I’ve discovered they were right. 

As a faithful student of the teaching of the Holy Father with regard to liturgical reform, which is fundamental for the New Evangelization, I believe the approval of such liturgical innovations, even after the corrections on the part of the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, does not seem coherent with the liturgical magisterium of the pope.” 

First of all, Cardinal Burke was referring to the "approval" that was given to the NCW in how they celebrate Mass.  In his letter, he admitted that he received concerns from many people of the possibility that the Pope gave the Way approval in how they celebrate Mass.  He also admitted that he discovered that these were not rumors or speculations as he first surmised.  Cardinal Burke was not saying that the Way disobeyed the Pope.  He stated that the "APPROVAL" given to the NCW by the Pope were not consistent with the liturgical Magisterium of the Pope.  

Secondly, Cardinal Burke stated:  "the approval of such liturgical innovations, even after the corrections on the part of the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, does not seem coherent with the liturgical magisterium of the pope.” 

By this statement, the Cardinal was referring to the Statutes of the Neocatechumenal Way.   He could not have been referring to the Catechetical Directory because the Directory of the Way was approved on January 20, 2012, when it was read and made public.  Burke's letter was dated six days BEFORE the approval of the Catechetical Directory was made public.  

The NCW have been saying all along that they have the approval of the Pope, and Cardinal Burke's letter was referring to the approval rather than to the Mass of the Neocatechumenal Way.  So, he was questioning the approval that the Pope had given the NCW.  

Finally, it is interesting to note that Cardinal Burke had thought that the "approval" that he has been hearing about was a rumor or speculation at first.  But he wrote that he discovered that "they were right."  HOW he discovered that the NCW was right about the approval was something he did not mention in his letter. 

Where is Cardinal Burke today?  He was demoted by Pope Francis because apparently he also questioned Pope Francis.  One of the commenters also wrote that Cardinal Burke threatened schism.  Last year, Burke was removed from the Vatican's Congregation for Bishops, and later was relieved of his duties as head of the Church's high court.  Burke has now been given the ceremonial title of "patron for the knights of Malta."  

Two New Cardinals For Oceania

Pope Francis has named two cardinals for Oceania:  Archbishop John New of Wellington in New Zealand and Bishop Soane Mafi of Tonga.  Both will be officially appointed at the Vatican on February 14th.  This is great news for the region of Ocean (of which Guam is a part of).  For the first time, cardinals were chosen from our part of the world. 

Bishop Mafi was born in 1961 in the capital of Tonga.  He is also the youngest to be chosen to be in the college of Cardinals.  He studied philosophy and theology at the Pacific Reginal Seminary in Fiji and ordained a priest of the Diocese of Tonga in 1991, where he also served in parishes and as vicar general.  He was consecrated a bishop in 2007.  He is president of the Pacific bishops conference, and took part in the extraordinary Synod on the Family in 2014. 

Archbishop John Dew was born in Waipawa in 1948 and was educated at St. Joseph's School, Waipukurau.  He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Wellington in 1976, serving in parishes as well a being the archdiocesan youth minister and a chaplain to the Maori community.

In 1995, he was appointed bishop of the Wellington Archdiocese and was appointed Bishop of New Zealand's military ordinariate in 2005.  He is president of the New Zealand bishops conference and of the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conference of Oceania. 

 Archbishop John Dew participated in the 2005 Synod on the Eucharist and also in the extraordinary Synod on the Family in 2014.  During the Synod on the Eucharist, Archbishop Dew suggested that the divorced and remarried could be admitted to Communion. 

New Cardinals