WelCom February/March 2025
February 2017 – December 2024
Eight years ago in February 2017, WelCom set out on a Hīkoi Whakapono: Journey of Faith, to visit all the parishes, schools and Catholic faith communities within our two dioceses of Palmerston North and Wellington. Over the years since, WelCom went out to meet kanohi ki te kanohi – face to face – with many of our readers in their widespread communities. In turn, our Hīkoi gave our readers a chance to get to know us in person and to proactively share their news and stories with our very wide community of literally thousands of readers.
In 1841, Bishop Pompallier sailed from Northland to Akaroa to see if a mission could be established there. He sailed south along the east coast of the North and South Islands. On his way, he left one of his fellow-French priests, Fr Claude Baty sm, at Mahia in 1841.
Significantly, we began our Hīkoi at Te Wairau Parish in Wairoa, Northern Hawke’s Bay, being one of the earliest Catholic communities in New Zealand and Palmerston North Diocese’s northern-most parish on the East Coast of the North Island.
From Wairoa, we followed the direction of Bishop Pompallier, journeying south along the East Coast of the lower North Island and the top of the South Island as far as Kaikōura. Our Hīkoi then took us across to the West Coast, the top of the South Island, back up to the Central North Island, around Taranaki, then south to Manawatu, along the Kāpiti Coast to Wellington, Hutt Valley and finally to Pukekaraka, Ōtaki.
We have visited all the pastoral areas of our two dioceses in the lower North Island and upper South Island, to learn about and profile a taste of the rich histories, stories, people and faith communities in our dioceses. Over several editions, WelCom has profiled each pastoral location.
Equally as symbolic as our historic starting point at Te Wairau Parish, our Hīkoi concluded at Pukekaraka, Ōtaki, in December 2024. It was there the first Catholic Mission was created in the region of Wellington at the invitation of Ngāti Kapu rangatira Tonihi in 1844.
On these two pages in our final edition of WelCom, we present a diagrammatic overview of the places we visited. Once again, we thank so many of you in parishes, schools and communities for hosting us on our journey and for continuing to share your communities’ news and stories with WelCom’s many readers.
Pdf copies of WelCom are on our website archives page [catholic.org.nz/welcom/welcom-office/welcom-pdf-archive/].
Photos: Annette Scullion and supplied
Archdiocese of Wellington
6. August 2017 The Catholic Parish of the Wairarapa
7. September 2017 Māori Eucharistic Communities of the two dioceses
8. October 2017 St Joseph’s Parish of Upper Hutt
9. November 2017 Our Lady of the Valley’s Parish, Heretaunga and Stokes Valley
10. February 2018 Te Whetū o Te Moana – the Star of the Sea, From Marlborough to Kaikoura
11. April 2018 Parish of St Canice, Westport to Karamea, Westcoast (since amalgamated with Reefton Parish)
12. May 2018 Pastoral area of Reefton (since amalgamated with St Canice Parish, Westport)
13. August 2018 Holy Family Parish, Nelson-Stoke
14. November 2018 Our Lady of the Bays Catholic Parish – Te tatou wahine o ngā whangapariha Katorika: Richmond, Waimea West, Wakefield, Motueka, Takaka
29. August 2021 Our Lady of Kāpiti Parish – includes coastal areas of Paekakariki, Raumati, Paraparaumu, Otorohanga, Waikanae, Peka Peka, Te Horo
30. October 2021 St Theresa’s Catholic Parish Plimmerton
31. February 2022 Our Lady of Hope Parish, Tawa and Tītahi Bay
32. April 2022 Te Pariha O Te Ngākau Tapu, Porirua
33. June–July 2022 Holy Family Parish, Porirua East
34. August 2022 Catholic Parish of St Francis of Assisi Ohariu, Johnsonville
35. October 2022 Catholic Parish of Otari, Wellington West – Karori, Northland,
Wilton, Otari
36. December 2022 The Catholic Parish of Wellington South, Newtown, Brooklyn,
Island Bay, Mt Victoria
37. August 2023 Holy Trinity Parish, Wellington East, Kilbirnie, Miramar,
Seatoun
38. November 2023 Te Awakairangi Parish, Lower Hutt
39. May 2024 Parish of The Holy Spirit – Te Wairua Tapu: Eastbourne,
Petone, Wainuiomata, Waiwhetu
40. August 2024 St Mary of the Angels Parish, Wellington
41. October 2024 The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Parish, Wellington
42. December 2024 Pukekaraka, Ōtaki
Diocese of Palmerston North
1. February 2017 Te Wairoa Parish and Wairoa – Northern Hawke’s Bay
2. April 2017 The Catholic Parish of Napier – Te Pārihi Katorika ki Ahuriri in Hawke’s Bay
3. May 2017 The Catholic Parish of Hastings – Te Parihi Katorika ki Heretaunga
4. June 2017 Holy Trinity Parish – Central Hawke’s Bay
5. July 2017 Tararua Pastoral Area
15. February 2019 Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Parish – Ohakune, Raetihi, Waiouru, Taihape to Managaweka, including several marae.
16. May 2019 Rangitikei Parish – Marton, Bulls, Whangaehu, Hunterville and Taiuru Marae.
17. June 2019 The Catholic Parish of Whanganui – Te Parihi Katorika Ki Whanganui
18. July 2019 The Catholic Parish of Patea And Waverley
19. August 2019 Parish of Hawera – Hawera, Manaia, Normanby and surrounding farming and coastal areas
20. September 2019 Ngā Tangata O Te Awa Tupua, te Awa o Whanganui.
21. November 2019 Immaculate Conception Parish, eastern-central Taranaki – Stratford, Kaponga, Eltham, Whangamomona
22. February 2020 Waitara and Inglewood Pastoral Area
23. June 2020 The Parish of New Plymouth – Te Parihi Katorika Ki Ngamotu, New Plymouth, Bell Block, Fitzroy, Brooklands, Okato
24. October 2020 Pungarehu and Opunake Parish, Taranaki coast
25. December 2020 St Brigid’s Parish, Feilding
26. February 2021 St Mary’s Parish, Palmerston North
27. April 2021 Cathedral Parish of Palmerston North – Cathedral, Our Lady of Lourdes, Shannon, Foxton, Rongotea
28. June-July 2021 Ko te Pārihi me te Kura o Hāto Hōhepa, Taitoko – the Parish and School of St Joseph, Levin
