WelCom February/March 2025
Archbishop Paul Martin sm and Bishop John Adams announced in December 2024 the following clergy and seminarian appointments for the Archdiocese of Wellington and the Diocese of Palmerston North for 2025.
Archdiocese of Wellington
| Catholic Parish of Buller and Inangahua, Westport/Reefton | Fr David Gruschow, Parish priest |
| Holy Family Parish, Nelson/Stoke | Fr Andrew Kim, Parish priest Seminarian Gerson Badayos, Seminarian pastoral year |
| Our Lady of the Bays Parish, Richmond/Motueka/Takaka | Fr Andrew Kim, Administrator Fr Cirilo Barlis, Assistant priest Fr Dyson Tharakan, Assistant priest Seminarian Gerson Badayos, pastoral year |
| Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, Marlborough | Fr Jacob Kuman cp, Administrator Fr Peter Gardiner cp, Assistant priest |
| Holy Trinity Parish, Wellington East | Fr Bill Warwick, Parish priest Deacon Kinh Nguyen, Assistant Kham Nguyen, Home base for seminarian |
| Catholic Parish of Wellington South, Wellington South | Fr Doug Shepherd, Parish priest Fr Biju Xavier, Assistant priest Dyester Abo-Abo, Home base for seminarian |
| St Mary of the Angels Parish, Wellington Central | Fr Kevin Mowbray sm, Parish priest Fr Michael Young sm, Assistant priest Fr Barry Scannell sm, Assistant priest (after Easter) |
| Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish | Fr Patrick Bridgman, Administrator Debbie Matheson, Lay pastoral leader (until March) |
| Catholic Parish of Otari, Karori/Wilton | Fr Joy Thottankara, Parish priest Fr Tikoua Kautu, Assistant priest |
| St Francis of Assisi Ōhāriu Parish, Khandallah/Johnsonville/Newlands | Msgr Gerard Burns, Parish priest Fr Alfred Tong, Assistant priest |
| Our Lady of Hope Parish, Tawa/Titahi Bay | Fr Rico de la Torre, Parish priest Fr Pene Patelesio, Assistant priest and supply |
| Te Ngakau Tapu Parish, Porirua | Msgr Gerard Burns, Administrator Fr Alfred Tong, Assistant priest |
| Holy Family Parish, Porirua East | Fr Isaac Songa mf, Parish priest Fr Nicholas Phone Myint mf, Assistant priest |
| St Theresa’s Parish, Plimmerton | Fr Ravi Kumar Voliganti, Administrator |
| Our Lady of Kāpiti Parish, Kāpiti | Fr Raymond Soriano, Parish priest |
| St Mary’s Hāto Mere, Pukekaraka, Ōtaki | Fr Alan Roberts, Parish priest (until Easter) Fr Simione Volavola msc, Administrator (from Easter) Fr Beniata Bakatete msc, Assistant priest (from Easter) [msc – Missionaries of the Sacred Heart] |
| St Joseph’s Hāto Hōhepa Parish Levin | Fr Bruce England, Parish priest until Easter Fr Simione Volavola msc, Parish priest from Easter Fr Beniata Bakatete msc, Assistant priest from Easter |
| Te Wairua Tapu Parish, Lower Hutt | Fr Akuila Taliauli svd, Parish priest Fr Marlon Maylon, Assistant priest (until replacement in 2025) |
| Te Awakairangi Parish, Lower Hutt | Fr Raja Kommareddy svd, Parish priest Fr Sang Quang Le svd, Assistant priest Fr Noel Corcino cjm, Assistant priest |
| Our Lady of the Valleys, Heretaunga/Stokes Valley | Fr Maleko Api-Tufuga, Parish priest |
| St Joseph’s Parish, Upper Hutt | Fr Tony Kearns, Parish priest Fr Kevin Connors, Assistant priest |
| Catholic Parish of Wairarapa | Fr Dennis Nacorda, Parish priest Deacon Matthew White, Assistant |
| Other changes | |
| Fr Alan Roberts – retires as parish priest of Ōtaki after Easter Fr Bruce England – retires as parish priest of Levin after Easter Fr Seph Pijfers – studies in Auckland Fr Michael Bellizzi – has returned to the Archdiocese of Malta Fr Marlon Maylon svd – will return to Australia when his replacement arrives. |
Diocese of Palmerston North
| Diocesan parishes 2025 | |
| The Catholic Parish of New Plymouth | A Fr Sobin Sebastian, Assistant priest |
| St Brigid’s Parish, Feilding St Joseph’s Parish, Ohakune St Mary’s Parish, Taihape | Fr Trung Nguyen, Administrator |
| Society of Mary appointments | |
| St Peter’s Parish, Wairoa | Fr Trevor Tindall, Parish priest |
| The Catholic Parish of Napier | Fr Brian Prendeville, Parish priest |
| Other changes | |
| Fr Rob Devlin sm is moving from St Peter’s Parish, Wairoa Fr Barry Scannell sm is moving from The Catholic Parish of Napier. | |
| Bishop John thanks all our priests who have agreed to be moved and who have so readily accepted these changes, and to the parishes that are ‘losing’ a priest. |