The Board of the Independent Catholic Magazine has served the company well during the 2023-2024 financial year. During the later months of the year it has operated with co-chairs, each contributing their expertise to the role. 

There were nine Directors during the year:

Judith McGinley OP — Chair, Co-chair from October 2023 (Representative of the Dominican Sisters)
Louise Shanly — Co-chair appointed October 2023
Agnes Hermans — Secretary
Philip Casey
Cathrine Harrison
Adrienne Gallie RSJ — appointed March 2024 (Representative of the Sisters of St Joseph)
Rita Cahill RSJ — (Representative of the Sisters of St Joseph) resigned November 2023
Neil Darragh — resigned June 2023
Shane Gallagher — (Representative of the Dominican Friars) resigned November 2023

The Board held five meetings by Zoom in 2023-2024 including a combined meeting with the Tui Motu Foundation.

Farewell to Directors

Neil Darragh, who has been a valued Director of the Board since August 2011, resigned at the AGM in June 2023. He was Chair for six years. The Board and Tui Motu magazine owe Neil a huge debt of gratitude. As well as being a highly respected theologian and writer, Neil is a wise, warm, insightful human being. He has an astute mind, is broad of vision and pays attention to detail. These attributes have made his membership of and contributions to the Board invaluable. Neil is like the tōtara among us — straight and tall, strong and reliable. We will miss him greatly.

Rita Cahill RSJ, representing the shareholders the Sisters of St Joseph, resigned in October 2024 after 24 years' service as a Director. She was the Board secretary for several years. Rita provided insight, wisdom, energy and enthusiasm. She was an important "knowledge-keeper" and link with Tui Motu's history. As well as her dedication to the governance of the Company, Rita has been an outstanding promoter of the magazine. She regularly sells the highest number of magazines each month as well as running a discussion group based on magazine articles. Rita is another tōtara among us — clear about the mandate, enthusiastic and reflective. We will miss her from the Board and will not let her stop promoting.

Shane Gallagher has been the director representing the shareholders the Dominican Friars for the last three years. He resigned in November 2023. During the year he lived in Dunedin he installed a credit card payment function on the Tui Motu website – a popular and useful addition. Shane resigned from the Board because of his involvement in study. We are grateful for this service.

Welcome to New Director

In March 2024 the Board welcomed Adrienne Gallie RSJ, appointed as representative of the shareholders the Sisters of St Joseph.

Highlights of the Board

The Board decided to make explicit its responsibility to the relationships of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the mandate of the magazine. The mandate, with the new phrase, is published in each issue of Tui Motu magazine.

Together with the Tui Motu Foundation, the Board initiated a tribute to Elizabeth Mackie OP who died in February 2023. Elizabeth was one of the Dominican Sister founders of Tui Motu, long-serving Board Director and Assistant Editor of Tui Motu magazine 2011-2016. A copy of the tribute is below.

The Board held a special meeting on 2 March 2024 with guest speaker Barbara Fountain, Editor of New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa, to discuss strategies for surviving as a print magazine in a climate where many publications are changing to digital formats. Tui Motu magazine is the only Catholic print magazine in Aotearoa and the only national Catholic print publication and the Board is committed to its continuance. 

The Board met with the Trustees of the Tui Motu Foundation and decided to reinstate the practice of regular meetings.