Services celebrate Matariki 2026
This week, St John of God Hauora Trust and Waipuna Youth Services came together to celebrate Matariki, the Māori New Year, across our services in Canterbury. From our support services office in Christchurch to our residential care home at Halswell, kaimahi, tāngata whaikaha, rangatahi, and their whānau gathered to mark the season with karakia, waiata, and a shared meal.
At the heart of our celebrations was kaumātua Henare Te Karu, who walked alongside our teams at each gathering. His presence gave the day grounding, warmth, and a deep sense of who we are as an organisation: grounded in our values, committed to our communities, and always looking for reasons to come together.
A time for renewal and reflection
Matariki is more than a public holiday. It is an invitation to pause, to reflect on the year that has passed, to remember those we have lost, and to set our intentions for the year ahead. For our kaimahi, many of whom work daily alongside people navigating some of life’s most challenging moments, Matariki is a chance to reconnect with why this mahi matters.
At Waipuna, the pūtātara was blown to open our gathering, calling everyone together in the spirit of Matariki. At Halswell, kaumātua Henare Te Karu moved between the gardens and the halls, greeting the people we support and reminding us all that belonging is not a programme, it is a practice.
Kai as connection
As with so many of our gatherings, the kai was central. Food prepared with care, shared generously, and enjoyed together. These are not small things. For the people we support, for our kaimahi, and for the communities we serve, a shared meal around a table is one of the most human expressions of manaakitanga there is.
Ngā mihi o Matariki ki a koutou katoa. To all our kaimahi, to the people we support, to their whānau, and to kaumātua Henare Te Karu for his aroha and his time: thank you. Ka nui te mihi.