Archdiocese of Wellington

Archdiocese of Wellington Archidioecesis Vellingtonensis
Catholic
Location
Country	New Zealand
Territory	Southern North Island and Northern South Island
Episcopal conference	New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference
Ecclesiastical province	Province of Wellington
Statistics
Area	13,831 sq mi (35,820 km2)
Population Total Catholics	(as of 2023) 701,120 85,380 ( 12.2%)
Parishes	23 (2023)
Information
Denomination	Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	10 May 1887
Cathedral	Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of Saint Mary His Mother
Patron saint	Sacred Heart and Our Lady
Secular priests	48 (diocesan) (2023) 52 (religious)
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Metropolitan Archbishop	Paul Martin
Bishops emeritus	John Dew
Website
cadw.nz
Sources:

The Archdiocese of Wellington is the Latin Catholic metropolitan archdiocese of New Zealand. Catholics number about 85,380 (2023). Parishes number 23 and the archdiocese extends over central New Zealand from Levin and Masterton in the north to Kaikoura and Westport in the south.

The suffragan sees are:

• Auckland
• Christchurch
• Dunedin
• Hamilton
• Palmerston North

History

Pioneers

The Catholic faith of the new immigrants to Wellington was initially sustained through the efforts of John Fitzgerald who arrived on 31 January 1840. He led the Sunday prayers and organised Christian Doctrine classes. The first resident priest was the Capuchin Father Jeremiah O’Riley who arrived as chaplain to Hon Henry William Petre, a director of the New Zealand Company and one of the founders of Wellington. O’Riley arrived in January 1843 and within a year the first, small Catholic church was built and dedicated to the Nativity. Meanwhile, the Auckland-based French Marists ministered extensively throughout the country and Fr J.B. Compte SM established a permanent mission at Ōtaki in 1844.

Marists

In June 1848, Pope Pius IX divided New Zealand into two dioceses, Auckland and Wellington which consisted of the lower half of the North Island and the whole of the South Island. Bishop Philippe Viard, who arrived in Wellington on the barque "Clara" on 1 May 1850, was the first bishop. With him were five Marist priests, ten lay brothers, two lay male teachers, three Māori and four young women, the "Sisters of Mary" who commenced teaching at what became St Mary's College and Sacred Heart Cathedral School.

Establishment

Viard bought and was given land in Thorndon on which his residence, St Mary's Convent and St Mary's Cathedral were built. Garin and Clause went to Nelson to establish the church there. Fr Lampila and two others established a mission in Hawkes Bay. Forest and Huntley worked in the Hutt Valley. Petitjean and Seon travelled extensively throughout the South Island. By 1852 a parish had been established in Whanganui and the Māori mission on the Whanganui River had a resident priest. For ten years, however, Viard received no reinforcements and illness took a toll on his personnel. In March 1860 the Sisters of Mercy arrived from Auckland to take over the works of the four Sisters of Mary.

Expansion

In 1859 three more Marist priests arrived and pastors could be provided to New Plymouth, Christchurch and Dunedin. The discovery of gold in 1857 and after meant a rapid expansion of the Church on the West Coast, and Dunedin became a separate diocese in 1869. Irish priests arrived and followed their compatriots to the diggings. The Sisters of the Missions also arrived to establish schools in Napier (Sacred Heart College Napier and St Joseph's Māori Girls' College) and in Christchurch and Nelson.

Archdiocese

Viard died on 2 June 1872 and was succeeded by Francis Redwood, who remained ordinary of the diocese for 61 years. The diocese was elevated to an archdiocese on 10 May 1887 and Christchurch became a separate diocese. Thomas O’Shea became his coadjutor bishop in 1913 and remained so for 22 years. Redwood died in 1935 and was succeeded by O’Shea whose archiepiscopate lasted for 12 years. Peter McKeefry was appointed coadjutor archbishop in 1947 and succeeded on the death of O’Shea in 1954. McKeefry was appointed a cardinal in 1969 and was assisted by Owen Snedden who was auxiliary bishop from 1962.

Cardinals

During McKeefry's episcopate the Catholic population of Wellington more than doubled and 39 new parishes were established. New orders arrived such as the Cistercians in Hawkes Bay. McKeefry, who became New Zealand's first cardinal in 1969, was succeeded in 1973 by Reginald Delargey who in turn was succeeded, on his death in 1979, by Thomas Williams, who became a cardinal in 1983. In 1980 the archdiocese was split with the creation of the Palmerston North diocese. Williams retired in March 2005 and John Dew was appointed as his replacement. He was made a cardinal in 2015.

Present

In 2019, Dew, addressing the state of the church's buildings and the future of their congregations, stated that soaring insurance costs and a dwindling number of priests meant that the resources of the archdiocese would have to be more efficiently used. He said that fewer resources would be poured into retaining buildings and more attention and energy focused on serving the poor, as required by Pope Francis and the synod. He said that earthquake resilience issues meant that the archdiocese was liable for unsustainable insurance costs and the strengthening of buildings with unacceptable New Building Standard ratings. Already four churches and Sacred Heart Cathedral had been closed because of this. He also stated that some parishes would need to amalgamate to cope with the lack of clergy. He said that the reduced number of priests, which was accelerating each year, meant that in most parishes there was a single priest – often elderly – expected to minister in more than one church. Availability and ability of priests were highly significant factors governing decisions for the future that could not be delayed. Between 2013 and 2017 the archdiocese carried out a parish amalgamation process, which led to the reduction in parishes from 47 to 22, and many of the new parishes had too many churches, presbyteries, and other buildings.

Ordinaries

Philippe Viard was vicar apostolic of the Diocese of Wellington from 1848 until 1860 when he became the Bishop of Wellington. Francis Redwood was bishop of that diocese until 1887 when he became archbishop of the Archdiocese of Wellington (created in that year) and Metropolitan of New Zealand. All incumbents since then carry those latter two titles.

Tenure	Incumbent	Life
1848–1860	Philippe Viard Vicar Apostolic; see below	(1809–1872)
1860–1872	Philippe Viard Bishop of Wellington; see above
1874–1887	Francis Redwood Bishop of Wellington; see below	(1839–1935)
1887–1935	Francis Redwood Archbishop of Wellington; see above
1935–1954	Thomas O'Shea	(1870–1954)
1954–1973	Peter McKeefry, cardinal	(1899–1973)
1974–1979	Reginald Delargey, cardinal	(1914–1979)
1979–2005	Thomas Williams, cardinal	(1930–2023)
2005–2023	John Dew, cardinal	(b. 1948)
2023–present	Paul Martin	(b. 1967)

Current Bishops

• Archbishop Paul Martin, Archbishop of Wellington
• Cardinal John Dew, Emeritus Archbishop of Wellington

Other bishops

Coadjutor archbishops

• Thomas O’Shea (1913–1935)
• Peter McKeefry (1947–1954)
• John Dew (2004–2005)
• Paul Martin (2021–2023)

Auxiliary bishops

• Owen Snedden (1962–1981)
• John Dew (1995–2004)

Other priests of the diocese who became bishops

• John Kavanagh, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Dunedin in 1949
• Edward Russell Gaines, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Auckland in 1976
• Peter James Cullinane, appointed Bishop of Palmerston North in 1980
• Patrick Edward O'Connor, appointed superior of Tokelau, Pacific (Oceania) in 1992; not consecrated bishop
• Owen Dolan (priest, 1954–1980), appointed coadjutor bishop of Palmerston North in 1995

Secondary schools

• Bishop Viard College, Porirua, Wellington
• Chanel College, Masterton
• Garin College, Nelson
• Sacred Heart College, Lower Hutt, Wellington
• St Bernard's College, Lower Hutt, Wellington
• St Catherine's College, Kilbirnie, Wellington
• St Mary's College, Thorndon, Wellington
• St Patrick's College, Kilbirnie, Wellington
• St Patrick's College, Silverstream, Wellington

Child sexual abuse cases

Documented cases of child sexual abuse by Catholic priests and brothers in the Wellington area include:

• Marist Brother Claudius Pettit (birth name Malcolm Thomas Petit) was convicted of sexual abuse of a boy at a Wellington school in the 1990s.
• In 2018 the Society of Mary said that Francis Durning sexually abused children. Durning taught in Catholic institutions from the 1940s through to the late 1980s, such as St Patrick's College, Silverstream (where he was rector of the school from 1950–1955) and St Patrick's College, Kilbirnie, Wellington.
• Marist Father Alan Woodcock abused children at St Patrick's College in Upper Hutt and Futuna in Wellington. After he was laicized and left New Zealand to live in England, he was extradited back to New Zealand and was convicted in 2004 of 21 sex offences committed between 1978 and 1987. The abuse continued with the knowledge of priests Michael Curtain and Fred Bliss. The Sisters of St Joseph of Nazareth assisted in locating him abroad. In the late 1980s, he took up residence in England, where he was arrested in 2002. Woodcock received a 21 year prison sentence.
• Patrick Bignell, who taught in the Hutt Valley, was convicted of "crimes against boys".

See also

• Catholic Church in New Zealand
• Sacred Heart Cathedral, Wellington
• St Gerard's Church and Monastery
• St Mary's Cathedral, Wellington
• St Joseph's Church, Mt Victoria
• Suzanne Aubert
• Francis Douglas (priest)
• Holy Name Seminary
• Holy Cross College (New Zealand)
• Southern Star Abbey
• List of Catholic dioceses in New Zealand

Canonical status and jurisdiction

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington is a metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church.

• Part of: Ecclesiastical Province of Wellington

External links

• Official website

From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia

Archdiocese of Wellington — (Wellingtoniensis). Located in New Zealand, originally formed part of the Vicariate of Western Oceania erected by the Holy See in 1835. In 1836 New Zealand and the islands of the Western Pacific were entrusted by Gregory XVI to the then newly-founded Society of Mary, as a field for their missionary labours. Owing to the difficulty of communication at that time between the numerous islands forming the vicariate, it was thought that success could be better achieved by making New Zealand a separate vicariate. This was done in 1842, and Mgr. Pompallier was chosen to administer it as Titular Bishop of Amasia, and vicar Apostolic. Very soon the need was felt for a further division, as British colonists began to arrive in great numbers, once New Zealand was made a British colony. On 22 Jan., 1840, the first body of immigrants arrived and founded the town of Wellington. About the same time (29 Jan., 1840) the sovereignty of Queen Victoria over the Islands of New Zealand was proclaimed. A compact called the Treaty of Waitangi was entered into between the queen's representative and the prominent native chiefs, whereby all rights and powers of sovereignty were ceded to the queen, all territorial rights being secured to the chiefs and their tribes. New Zealand was then constituted a dependency of New South Wales, but on 3 May, 1841, was proclaimed a separate colony. The colony (as it then was) was divided into two vicariates in 1843, the Province of Auckland forming one vicariate, and Wellington, with the rest of the colony, the other. When the division of territory was made, Mgr. Philip Joseph Viard, who had for some time been acting as coadjutor to Mgr. Pompallier, became administrator of the Wellington vicariate, at the same time remaining coadjutor of Auckland. By Brief of 3 July, 1860, he ceased to be coadjutor of Auckland, and was appointed the first Bishop of Wellington. An Irish Capuchin, Rev. J.P. O'Reilly, was the first resident priest in Wellington, where he laboured from 1843 until his death in 1880.

The Archdiocese of Wellington occupies territory in both the main islands, comprising the following provinces: Taranaki, Wellington, and Hawkes Bay in the north island, and the greater portion of Nelson in the south island. Its area is about 34,000 sq. miles, being somewhat larger in size than Ireland. Wellington, the capital, owes its selection to the commanding position it occupies in Port Nicholson, the safest harbour in the dominion. Port Nicholson is an inlet of Cook Strait, the waterway dividing the north from the south island. The original capital was Auckland, but it had the disadvantage of not being centrally situated for the colony. The Governors of New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania were asked each to appoint one commissioner for the purpose of determining the best site in Cook Strait. These gentlemen, having made a personal inspection of all suitable places, arrived at the unanimous decision that "Wellington in Port Nicholson was the site upon the shores of Cook Strait which presented the greatest advantages for the administration of the Government of the Colony". The seat of government was therefore, in accordance with the recommendation of the commissioners, removed to Wellington in 1865. Wellington was made an archiepiscopal and metropolitan see on 13 May, 1887. The population of the city is now 72,000. As the European population of New Zealand continued to increase rapidly, the Provinces of Otago and Southland, with the adjacent islands, were separated from Wellington in 1869, and erected into a new see, with Dunedin as the seat. Dr. Patrick Moran was transferred from South Africa to the newly-erected see, and became its first bishop. In 1887 a further division of the territory of the Diocese of Wellington was considered advisable. The Provinces of Canterbury, Westland, and the southern portion of Nelson were detached to form the new See of Christchurch, and Dr. John J. Grimes, of the Society of Mary, became its first bishop.

Mgr. Philip Joseph Viard, the first Bishop of Wellington, was born at Lyons, France, in 1809. He made his religious profession in the Society of Mary in 1839, and left France the same year for New Zealand. He spent some time in the islands of the Pacific, notably Wallis, Futuna, and New Caledonia. In 1846 he was consecrated bishop and coadjutor to Mgr. Pompalier by Dr. Polding of Sydney. In 1850 he left Auckland to take up his residence in Wellington. In 1868 he paid a visit to Rome, and was present at the Vatican Council. He returned to Wellington in 1871, and died in 1872. Dr. Francis Redwood, the first Archbishop of Wellington, and Metropolitan of New Zealand, was born in the Diocese of Birmingham, England, in 1839. When he was only three years old the Redwood family came to New Zealand and settled in the Nelson district. At an early age he was sent to France to receive his education, and after a distinguished collegiate course he resolved to enter the ecclesiastical state. He accordingly made his religious profession in the Society of Mary, and was ordained priest in 1865. For some years after his ordination he lectured on philosophy and theology at Dundalk and Dublin, Ireland. On the death of Mgr. Viard he was chosen Bishop of Wellington, and consecrated on 17 March, 1874, by Cardinal Manning. On 13 May, 1887, Dr. Redwood was created archbishop by papal Brief, and became Metropolitan of New Zealand. During his long life he has seen the Church in New Zealand develop from a few scattered families-the mustard seed of the Gospel-to the rich and vigorous growth of the present day.

Statistics

Out of a total population of 320,000 in the archdiocese, 47,000 are Catholics, according to the census of 1906. The vast majority of these came from Ireland, or are of Irish descent. In addition there are about 1500 Catholics amongst the native or aboriginal population. The number of districts in the archdiocese is 34; churches, 112; clergy, secular, 29, regular, 60, total, 89; religious brothers, 30; nuns, 367. The institutions number: one college for boys (St. Patrick's Wellington, under the charge of the Society of Mary); boarding and high schools, 14; primary schools, 34; orphanages, 4; industrial school for boys, 1; homes for incurables, 2; inmates, 91. Total number of children receiving Catholic education in Catholic schools, 4000.

MORAN, History of the Catholic Church in Australasia (Sydney, s.d.); WILSON, The Church in New Zealand (Dunedin, 1910); New Zealand Official Year Book (1908); Annals of the Society of Mary (Lyons).

External links

• Official website
• Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington, Archives and History
• Archdiocese of Wellington profile at Catholic-Hierarchy.org
• Archdiocese of Wellington profile at GCatholic.org
• Sacred Heart Cathedral, Wellington (accessed 11 February 2011).

41°16′37″S 174°46′33″E / 41.27694°S 174.77583°E