by CATHIE BELL
The Passionist Order has left New Zealand now, after finishing nine years of service in Marlborough, and its last priest Fr Jacob Kuman, CP, left on February 28.
Diocesan priest Fr Michael McCabe was installed as parish priest of Our Lady Star of the Sea by Cardinal John Dew at a Mass in Blenheim on Sunday February 27.
Cardinal John thanked the Passionist Order for its generous service in Marlborough.
He said the past nine years had been difficult for the order – earthquakes, COVID, the death of former parish priest Fr John Pearce, CP, and recently parish priest Fr Giltus Mathias, CP, being stuck in Sydney and unable to return to the parish.
“They have been generous to us with their service, and I’m grateful.”
Departing Passionist priest Fr Kuman, who has been assistant parish priest at Our Lady Star of the Sea, said the change was sad.
The Passionist priests have been popular in Marlborough, with their strong personalities making a good impact. Fr Kuman was noted for starting Mass with loud Hallelujahs and exclamations of how beautiful the day is, and the late Fr Pearce made great links with the wider communities and other religious groups. He brought together a public memorial service in the town square after the March 15 mosque killings to show Muslim members of the community that Marlborough welcomed them.
In a letter read out at the installation Mass, the order’s provincial Fr Tom McDonough, CP, said it “was with enormous sadness but great gratitude that the Passionist congregation said goodbye”.
“It has been a joy and a delight to share faith, light, and community together.”
Fr McDonough said that Marlborough was a “vibrant and multicultural parish that filled us with delight”.
Parish spokesman Blair McLean thanked the Passionists for the five priests who had guided the parish over the past nine years.
“There has been some tough and challenging times in our journey.”
He made special tribute to Fr Pat McIndoe, CP, whom Fr McDonough said had come to Marlborough to retire, but had to step up from assistant to be parish priest twice, and ended up being parish priest longer than any other Passionist priest in Marlborough. He is now working in Papua New Guinea at the order’s seminary there.
Mr McLean thanked Fr McDonough for bringing the Passionists to Marlborough.
“They have been part of our tight-knit community. They are part of our history now and their influence will be continually felt.”
Cardinal Dew said that there would be changes at Our Lady Star of the Sea now, with only one priest serving a big parish. The parish stretches from Picton to Kaikoura, with Masses held in Blenheim and Seddon as well.
“But it is where we are now in the archdiocese with a shortage of priests.”
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