Social Justice Week
You Belong | Nō Konei Anō Koe
Sunday, 6 – Saturday, 12 September
This year we begin a three-year journey exploring what it means to truly belong — to God, to one another, and to creation — starting with the first and most important thread: we belong to God, made on purpose, fully known, and unconditionally loved.
Pope Leo XIV reminds us that every person carries a dignity that is not earned and not given by others but woven into us by the God who made us. In Aotearoa New Zealand, this truth echoes in the idea of tūrangawaewae — a place to stand, a place to belong. Wherever we come from, whoever we are, we are held by a God who knows our name and calls us home.
Education resources include:
Background Notes for Teachers
Daily Prayers
Learning Activities
Achievement Objectives Highlighted
Poster
Woven Thread - 2026 theme element
Liturgy (Notes and Slides)
Caritas Stories and Videos
Catholic schools around New Zealand will receive hard copies of the poster which will be used over the next 3 years along with the 2026 focus “woven thread” element -
You belong to God | Nā Te Atua anō koe.
Please feel free to order more posters or woven threads by contacting education@caritas.org.nz.
Key Messages
CST Connection: Human Dignity
You are made in the image of God.
Before your name, your story, your best days or your hardest ones - you carry something extraordinary. You are made in the image and likeness of God. That is where your worth begins. That is where it stays. That is why every person matters - not because of what they achieve or what they are given, but simply because of who made them.
Key Resources
Caritas Stories and Videos
Mannie and the River | Ko Mannie me te Awa
Watch this video to listen to the amazing story of Mannie the deer, the Caritas mascot for Human Dignity.
Join Mannie as he journeys alongside the river and discovers a powerful truth: that his identity, worth and belonging come from God. Through this beautiful story, we are reminded that each of us is created in the image and likeness of God, deeply loved and called to belong.
Caritas Story: Lebanon | He Paki nā Caritas: Repanona
Watch these videos to find out more about the situation in Lebanon.
Discover how staff from Caritas Lebanon are practically supporting those in need and showing love to others to help them find belonging again.
All We Want is Peace | Nadia’s Story
Caritas Story: Taybeh | He Paki nā Caritas: Taybeh
Watch these videos to find out more about the situation in Taybeh.
Discover how Caritas helps people in one of the last entirely Palestinian Christian Villages in the West Bank to remain connected to their community and provides support that enables families to continue living and thriving in their homeland.
Settlers Set Fire to Historic Christian Palestinian Village
Reaching Hard-to-Access Areas with Emergency Support in Lebanon
Taybeh - A Christian Village in the West Bank
Coming soon — check back in August
Supporting Displaced Families in Lebanon - A Personal Perspective
Christian village in occupied West Bank faces settler attacks as clergy urge urgent global action
Voices from Aotearoa | He Reo mai i Aotearoa
Watch these videos from a number of young people from our Catholic school community in Aotearoa as they share their personal responses to five questions related to the key messages for Social Justice Week 2026 - You Belong to God.
Sharing Together
We would love to see what your students create during Social Justice Week. Share their contributions with us at education@caritas.org.nz — and we will share them with schools across Aotearoa.
Previous Years Resources:
2025: Imagine Peace For All / Let’s Build Peace Together!
2024: Imagine Peace For All /Choose Forgiveness, Know Peace
2023: Imagine Peace For All / Peace Begins With You!
2022: Say No to Racism. We are One in Christ
2021: A Culture of Encounter: Be the Church
2020: Easy as CST: unlocking the Church’s Potential
2019: Fair, You Say? Seeking fairness in an unfair world
2018: Enabling Communities. Everyone has a part to play
