St Mark’s, Pakuranga celebrates half century

When St Mark’s Catholic parish, Pakuranga started 50 years ago, it was like a mission station, even if it was on the outskirts of Auckland at the time.

That was the recollection of Fr Joseph Stack, who was a deacon at the time in Pakuranga, recalled by Auckland Auxiliary Bishop Michael Gielen at a Mass at the parish’s 50th jubilee celebrations on April 18. The celebrations took place outdoors, on the grounds of St Mark’s School. Foundation parishioners sat in special rows of seats at the front.

That morning, Bishop Gielen had phoned Fr Stack, now in Hamilton diocese, and had asked him about the early days at St Mark’s. The bishop said Fr Stack recalled the chapel that was a cowshed, the plentiful supply of mud on the property, the clergy living in the old farmer’s house, and
packing up the car with items to celebrate Mass at a local college.

“He said to me that it was like a mission station,” Bishop Gielen said.

Fr Stack recalled that, 50 years ago, he was fresh out the seminary, and did not know what to do in such a situation.

“But he said, the people carried us,” Bishop Gielen noted, adding that he (the bishop) was told that parishioners in those days used to turn up at the property on a Saturday afternoon, asking if there was anything they could do to help.

It wasn’t always plain sailing. Bishop Gielen said Fr Stack told him that “cows used to wander over onto the property, and he said he would have to corral them and take them back”, despite not knowing how to.

But the main memory Fr Stack had was of the people. According to Bishop Gielen, Fr Stack recalled that there “were lots and lots of young
families and vibrancy and life”.

The bishop said that his response to Fr Stack was that “there are more families, more vibrancy and there is more life” at Pakuranga in 2021.

Bishop Gielen described St Mark’s as a parish that is “shining in our diocese. It really is, praise the Lord”. It is still very much a missionary parish, having added “Mission” to its name — St Mark’s Catholic Mission Parish — to reflect that.

The bishop said that, while it is good to recall and celebrate the past, and he thanked foundation parishioners for their generosity, no parish can rest on its laurels, otherwise the Church becomes a museum.

He noted that many current St Mark’s parishioners are migrants, and “we thank you for the way that you share your faith, not just in your own families, but to our people, to our country. We recognise you, and we ask you to keep doing that, to keep being people of St Mark, true evangelists . . .”.

During the Mass, Bishop Gielen also noted the contribution of the St Mark’s founding parish priest, the late Msgr Ray Green. Other activities at the jubilee celebrations included singing by St Mark’s School students, cultural performances and a picnic.