Establishing relationships a priority

When Archbishop Paul Martin, SM, first discovered that Pope Francis wanted him to be Coadjutor Archbishop of Wellington, he had just finished celebrating Mass on the fourth Sunday of Advent — at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral in Christchurch.

The Gospel for that day was the story of the Annunciation — and then-Bishop Martin had preached on how “Our Lady was open and trusting, and didn’t know what lay ahead, but she had said ‘yes’ anyway in faith”.

A short time later, he got into his car and saw a text message from the Apostolic Nuncio stating “Please ring me”.

So then-Bishop Martin, who was Bishop of Christchurch, called the nuncio — Archbishop Novatus Rugambwa — and “then he asked me”.

“I was very surprised and was not expecting it at all. Like Our Lady at the Annunciation, I was very surprised, so it was like ‘Oh. OK’. . . . [B]ut I thought, if this is what is being asked of me, then that’s what is being asked of me.”

The appointment was announced on January 1 in Rome, and the news came through to New Zealand overnight on January 1-2. The appointment took effect immediately. Archbishop Martin will be apostolic administrator of Christchurch diocese until the Pope appoints a new bishop for that diocese. According to the Christchurch diocese website, he hopes to spend the majority of his time in Christchurch “in the immediate future”.

A coadjutor usually becomes the bishop or archbishop of a diocese when the incumbent bishop retires. Cardinal Dew turns 75 in 2023, when he is required by canon law to submit his resignation to the Pope.

When the announcement of his appointment came, Archbishop Martin was in Wellington archdiocese, in Brightwater, near Nelson, visiting his sister.

On January 2, the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference released a statement in which Cardinal John Dew, president of the NZCBC, said he is delighted with the appointment of Archbishop Martin, which comes “at a time of a heavy workload” in the Wellington archdiocese.

“He is well known to clergy and many people of the diocese and will be warmly welcomed by all,” Cardinal Dew said. “I am fully confident that he will lead the diocese into the future with new vision and energy.”

Archbishop Martin told NZ Catholic that Wellington is the place where he has “worked the most in my life as a priest”. “During my seminary studies, I studied at Victoria [University of Wellington], so I had two and a half years there in seminary time.

Then I actually worked at St Mary of the Angels for six months in 2003, and then, in 2004, I went to St Pat’s (College, Kilbirnie) to teach for two years. Then I went back to St Bede’s (College, Christchurch) as deputy rector for two years, and then I went back to St Pat’s for six years as the rector.”

Before being appointed Bishop of Christchurch in 2017, he was bursar-general for the Society of Mary.

Priority

Asked by NZ Catholic about what might be his highest priority in his new ministry, Archbishop Martin said: “At the moment, it is a case of going in there, sitting down with John [Dew] and working out what is happening, getting the lie of the land again, it is six years since I was in the diocese last. And talking to him about how he sees it — and then I need to spend some time having a look and seeing how I see it.

“I think, in the end, it is about establishing relationships with the priests and the people, so that they get to know me — that would be the first thing. Because John is still archbishop for the next two years, and that will keep going”.

Archbishop Martin told NZ Catholic that he will be “meeting up with Cardinal John at the end of the month, we are going to talk about a whole lot of things”.

Among the topics for discussion will likely be some sort of official function or reception to welcome Archbishop Martin in his new ministry. But this will not involve an ordination. Archbishop Martin added that he and Cardinal Dew will sort out the “logistics” of the new coadjutor’s ministry.

Asked by NZ Catholic about how he was going to take care of his own well-being, with the added workload he will inevitably have, Archbishop Martin said that prioritising things and having life balance are important — for all people, and not only for a bishop. This means occasionally having to say “no” to requests.

“It is always tricky. The other thing, too, is sometimes you also know that it is not forever, and if it is for a short time, you can say, OK, I know I am going to work really hard and [be] busy for this time, but there will be a time when there will be another bishop appointed to Christchurch, and Cardinal John has got Palmerston North as well [as apostolic administrator], and that won’t last forever.”

In a Facebook post about Archbishop Martin’s appointment, Cardinal Dew said that “I pray and hope that there will also be good news soon for the people of Palmerston North, who have managed their diocese so well for more than a year now”.

In the NZCBC statement, Archbishop Martin said it will be a privilege to take up the Archdiocese of Wellington role, but he will be “sorry to leave the diocese of Christchurch and the work that we have been doing”.

Christchurch

Asked by NZ Catholic what he would say to his eventual successor in Christchurch, Archbishop Martin spoke about the parish changes that have happened, notably in Christchurch city where five larger, better-resourced parishes were formed from the previous 12, and how the goal has been the building up and strengthening of parish life.

It is important to let people know the vision behind such changes, which are not simply structural, he said, adding that it is good to keep before the people both “what we are trying to do”, and “why we are trying to do it” — for the sake of mission and evangelisation.

“I am sort of saying to people, and I’ll keep saying it in Wellington too. . . that I want us to grow in holiness, to strengthen our faith communities and proclaim the Gospel.

“So the change is for the sake of mission and evangelisation and strengthening faith. So I think that’s what I would want, to really encourage whoever takes over from me to keep helping that to happen.”

“Therefore, you are trying to set up structures to help and support that,” Archbishop Martin said.

“[The changes have] certainly been a challenge for people, but I think the majority of people recognised that we needed to do it,” he said, adding that the vision he has been enacting applies not just to the parishes in Christchurch city, but in parishes throughout the diocese.

It has been noted on social media that Archbishop Martin and Cardinal Dew have the same birthday (May 5). This was also the birthday of the late Bishop John Cunneen of Christchurch, and it was the day the Christchurch diocese was officially established in 1887, Archbishop Martin said.