Some Catholics in the 2021 New Year Honours

Several Catholics who have contributed greatly to their various communities have been given recognition in the 2021 New Year Honours List.

Inspector Kieren Kortegast MNZM

Among them was Inspector Kieren Kortegast of Christchurch, who has worked for the New Zealand Police for the past 48 years. For his services to the New Zealand Police and the community, he is made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM).

Inspector Kortegast, at present, manages the Police Southern Emergency Communications Centre which is responsible for receiving emergency and non-emergency calls for service, as well as all initial command and deployment of frontline staff to critical incidents.

His exemplary leadership in this role, particularly during the Christchurch earthquakes and the March 15, 2019, mosque shootings, was highlighted as one of the reasons why he was honoured.

Inspector Kortegast is also responsible for the Police’s Business Continuity Plan for the Police Communications Centre.

He represented the Police on the National Emergency Communications Working Group – Australia and New Zealand for more than 14 years. Outside of Police, Inspector Kortegast had been fundraising for the Life Education Trust for nearly a decade as part of his involvement with the Round Table Service Club.

Francis Fanning

Mr Francis Fanning from Wellington is made a companion of the Queen’s Service Order, for services to the community.

Mr Fanning has undertaken voluntary community service for 45 years, through a range of organisations, including in leadership and governance roles.

Mr Fanning began his involvement with the Sisters of Compassion in 1974, organising the annual Street Day Appeal raffle fundraiser for more than 20 years. He began volunteering with Wellington’s Compassion Soup Kitchen in the early 1990s, retiring from their meal services in late 2019, but continuing in a fundraising capacity. He volunteered with Wellington Night Shelter from 1990 to 1995.

He joined the Soup Kitchen’s Board of Management in the 1990s, which later became the Suzanne Albert Compassion Centre, which he chaired from 2000 to 2008, before retiring from the board in 2010. Under his leadership and direction, the Soup Kitchen grew to provide other support functions, including emergency, transitional and long-term housing, assistance and facilitation with social welfare, employment, and mental and physical health services.

He has chaired Compassion Housing since 2017, which oversees 92 social housing units in Upper Hutt, having begun his involvement after retiring from the Soup Kitchen.

He was instrumental in a joint venture with Willis Bond to purchase the social housing stock of Horowhenua District Council, bringing the total properties to 209. Mr Fanning is a member of Wellington South Rotary Club, and has served three terms as president.

Some of the Catholics given the Queen’s Service Medal include: Mrs Robin Boldarin, JP for services to the community and school sports.

Mrs Boldarin was an integral part of Catholic Netball Wellington City Area for decades, as convenor and as an umpire at Tuesday and Saturday netball games and tournaments. She assisted in the re-siting of the netball venue from Holy Cross School to a more central venue located at Evans Bay Intermediate School.

At present, she is the secretary of the Wellington Primary School Sports Association.

She was involved in the Holy Cross Brownie Pack in Miramar, where she organised many skillsbased events for 20 years. She was also a quartermaster for the Girl Guides. As president of the Southern Stroke Club since 2015, Mrs Boldarin organised awareness campaigns, public education and fundraising. She was elected member of the Stroke Central Region board in 2017.

Mrs Rosa Chow for services to immigrant communities. Mrs Chow had actively contributed to the Howick community since emigrating from Hong Kong.

Mrs Chow is an active member of St Mark’s Catholic Church in Pakuranga, Auckland, and had been a board member of Macleans College for several terms. She worked on connecting Chinese parents of students with the college, as well as increasing their community engagement.

She was also a key member of the Asian Council on Reducing Crime for 14 years, mobilising people to volunteer in community services such as foot patrol groups, enhancing knowledge on crime prevention, as well as financial literacy and business skills.

She has been a member of both the Police National Ethnic Advisory Forum and the Police Asian District Advisory Board.

Mr Kerry Patrick Clarkin , JP for services to agriculture and the community. Mr Clarkin was honoured for his role in developing the New Zealand National Fieldays Society at Mystery Creek, Ohaupo.

Mr Clarkin was chairman of the Newstead Young Farmers Club in 1971. He spent many hours contributing to working bees to develop the exhibition site in Mystery Creek.

He became chairman of the Exhibit Committee of the Society in 1983, and was elected as chairman of the Agricultural Fieldays Committee in 1991, and as president from 1998 to 2001. Since stepping down from the board, he held the role of membership coordinator. He has been involved with 50 Fieldays events.

Mr Clarkin served 24 years on the Eureka Hall Committee, and was chairman for some years. He was also active in schools.

He served on the Board of Trustees of Eureka School. He was deputy chair of the Board of Trustees of St John’s College, Hamilton, in 2009, and was eventually appointed as the proprietor’s representative in 2013.

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NZ Catholic Staff