New Zealand Catholics at prayer

At St Patrick's Cathedral in Auckland yesterday, Catholics gathered in front of a candle-lit photo of the pontiff, reciting the Lord's Prayer and Hail Marys.

Parishioner Kathleen Bond said Pope John Paul II had conducted himself as a statesman for peace. "He has something that touches everyone's hearts, even if they're not Catholic."

She said even his death would bring "great gifts ... to the whole world. Even in moments of sadness there's great hope".

Tonight's 7pm mass at the cathedral in Auckland will be dedicated to the Pope.

The Catholic Church's New Zealand Communications director Lyndsay Freer, who is in Rome, has met the Pope three times, most recently in 2001.

When the Pope visited New Zealand in 1988 Ms Freer and a radio host ran a competition for school children to meet him.

"They had to write, in a few words, what you would say to the Pope if you met him," she said.

"We were flooded with entries and the one we chose was a young girl aged about 8 or 9. A lovely little girl.

"I had to take her at the end of the gathering in the Auckland Domain and I had to lead her up to meet the Pope and explain to him what it was all about and what she said. He bent down and spoke to her for quite a few minutes and it was quite lovely."