“When I heard about it, I felt sad. I had been waiting for a long, long time for that day,” he said. “I think, it’s human nature (to feel sad). But for the safety of the people and all things considered, like travelling, I think it’s a good decision to postpone the ordination.”

Deacon Nguyen was supposed to be ordained as a priest at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit on April 18. But Wellington Cardinal John Dew and Palmerston North Vicar-general Msgr Brian Walsh talked to him about it and they agreed it was best to postpone.

“We will decide when to have the ordination when the lockdown is finished,” Deacon Nguyen said. “I still believe, in God’s plan, that day will come.”

He said, with the virus still around, it doesn’t seem possible for his family to fly here to witness his ordination.

“It’s funny because I have three brothers following the vocation as well, one in the States, one in Colombia and one in India. Through this event, they are also always encouraging me and we kind-of journeyed together, which means I am not alone,” he said.

One of his brothers is a diocesan seminarian in Washington, DC, another in a religious order in Colombia, and still another in the Rosminian order in India.

He said the people in Palmerston North diocese also sent him messages and emails, most telling him to “hang on in there”.

But he is most grateful to Bishop Owen Dolan, his first spiritual director in New Zealand. He said Bishop Dolan called him (Deacon Nguyen) as soon as he (Bishop Dolan) heard the news.

“He said to me, I come from Vietnam where, all through the history of the faith in Vietnam, we have been through challenges and persecution,” Deacon Nguyen said.

He added that Bishop Dolan pointed out that his (Deacon Nguyen’s) vocation journey was filled with challenges as well, first with having to learn a new culture and now, with this virus.

“In the end, he said to me that your vocation will flourish like the faith in Vietnam. Because the challenges and the struggles made the faith in Vietnam so strong. I reflect on it as well. The difficult times make my vocation stronger. The desire to be priest is more, compared to the past,” he said.

Deacon Nguyen said he is with Msgr Walsh and Msgr David Bell for the duration of the lockdown.

“It’s a good time to learn from these wise men. They have a lot of experiences in their pastoral ministry, so now it’s time for me to learn from them. Actually, it’s a good time,” he said.

The post Ordination to priesthood postponed appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

The three publicly said “thank you” to the large congregation which filled the cathedral. They acknowledged the faith witnesses of many people as having nourished their lives as priests throughout.

“As every priest knows, or quickly learns, it’s the faith, love, sacrifices, hopes, struggles and courage of those he serves that urges him on, inspire[s], empowers and enables his perseverance,” said homilist Bishop Peter Cullinane, Bishop Emeritus of Palmerston North.

“And so to all of you who have inspired us, prayed for us and supported us with Dave, Peter and Owen, we say ‘thank you’. This jubilee is your day too. You are rightly proud of them and they of you,” he said.

Bishop Owen Dolan

When Archbishop Peter McKeefry laid hands on the young Owen Dolan in St Joseph’s church, Hawera, on July 21, 1954, little did he anticipate that his priestly life would involve much travel. But he had had some experience of travel by then, having fond memories of following his surveyor dad around Taranaki, which might also explain his large collection of maps.

Early appointments took Fr Dolan to parishes in Taranaki and Wellington. Then, in 1973, it was off to Peru, where he stayed until 1978 working alongside the Columban and the Maryknoll Fathers in Lima and Arequipa.

“Working with the Latin American people impacted on me and shaped my life as a priest forever,” he said.

Again, it was to parish ministry in Wellington when he returned. In 1981 he was appointed vicar general of the Archdiocese of Wellington and became national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies. He was ordained Coadjutor Bishop for the Palmerston North diocese on December 10, 1995.

With the rare title of Emeritus Coadjutor Bishop of Palmerston North, he still walks every day and still contributes significantly to the life and mission of the diocese.

Fr Peter Fahy

It was Catholicism that attracted English-born and Anglican Peter Fahy first; priesthood followed afterwards. Immigrating to New Zealand in 1952, his family settled in Richmond, Nelson. He was received into the Catholic faith in 1958, noting Marist Fr Jess Kingam’s wisdom and support as critical.

Thoughts of a vocation were gradual.

“At St Bede’s College, I decided to give the seminary a go and kept on from there,” he said.

Ordained by Bishop Owen Snedden on July 9, 1969, in Richmond, his parish appointments took him to Levin, Napier, Palmerston North and New Plymouth plus tertiary/university chaplaincies. He held national and international positions in the scouting movement, being awarded the Silver Tiki bar in 2000 — which is the second highest scout award. On the local scene, he was involved in musical societies and orchestras.

Priestly highlights were meeting a German priest in Brussels and discovering both their fathers had fought against each other in WWII.

“Another was offering Mass in Christ’s burial tomb in Jerusalem. Celebrating Mass on a tree stump on the Matemateaonga track with Mt Ruapehu behind me and Mt Taranaki in front was a truly sacred moment,” he said

Now retired to Levin, he still plays the violin for the Manawatu Sinfonia and does priestly supply.

Msgr David Bell

Being involved in the Catholic Youth Movement and Young Christian Workers gave Christchurch-born David Bell the grounding of the Church’s mission and a love of Christ.

“After 7 years as a pharmacist, I decided to test my call and applied to enter Holy Cross Seminary. I was greatly encouraged by friends who were already
there,” said Msgr Bell.

“To me, being a priest means reaching out to other people in the service of God, wanting others to experience the same love of the Church as myself,”
he said.

After ordination by Bishop Owen Snedden on July 8, 1969, in Blenheim, he served in parishes in Taranaki and Hawkes Bay. Before coming to Whanganui in 2002, he was the first year formator for 3 years at Holy Cross Seminary in Auckland.

In 2003, he was named vicar general for the diocese. Surprised at being granted the title of Monsignor in July, 2008, by Pope Benedict XVI, the congregation immediately responded with a standing ovation. “I’m stuck for words,” he said at the time.

Keen on rugby, he was a referee for many years and served at the Whanganui Rugby Union. During the Rugby World Cup in 2011 he was chaplain to the French team.

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Those words are “Trust in God”, the seventh Bishop of Dunedin told more than 1000 people at the Dunedin Town Hall on April 26 at a Mass at which he was ordained as bishop.

“I had no idea what the motto for my crest would be. It was a source of anxiety in the last few months,” Bishop Dooley said.

“But in the middle of the night, one night I woke up and I got up and it came to me and I wrote it down. It was, as you can see, ‘trust in God’.

“So this has been a theme in my life and it will be [a] theme as I take on the privilege of leading this diocese of Dunedin in the shepherding role as bishop.”

Bishop Dooley spoke about his bishop’s pastoral staff and how it reminded him of aspects of his upbringing on a sheep farm in Southland.

With his sister and brothers, he used shepherds’ crooks on the farm to catch sheep and lambs in need of attention.

“To tell you the truth, this staff [I’m holding now] does not look as though it would stand up to a feisty Romney ewe,” he said; a remark which prompted ripples of laughter.

But Bishop Dooley noted the Christian symbolism of the pastoral staff, going back to Jesus the Good Shepherd, and symbolising the shepherding role of a bishop.

“I am privileged to hold this staff in this diocese,” he said.

“Thinking of the staff and the symbolism, that goes right back to Jesus, I am reminded of the faith that’s been planted in our hearts by God. And it is precious and powerful, whether it is in a small country district, or whether it is in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.”

He noted the Catholic Faith of his parents and that of his ancestors, who had brought it with them from Ireland.

Looking at the people in the Town Hall who had come from Dunedin, North, Central and South Otago and from Southland, Bishop Dooley said it all seemed a long way from Heddon Bush where he grew up and from his childhood parish of Nightcaps.

But he did have some experience of the Dunedin Town Hall in his early years — when he once watched on TV a Miss New Zealand Pageant held there.

“It is certainly not the Miss New Zealand show here tonight,” he quipped, again to laughter.

Bishop Dooley thanked all who had supported him in his ministries as a priest and as vicar-general of Dunedin diocese, especially Bishop Emeritus Colin Campbell.

“The last few months I have really felt the people uplifting me,” he added.

“Thank you all for coming here tonight. It is quite overwhelming.”

He finished by saying “let us continue to pray for each other”.

Earlier in the Mass, Bishop Campbell started his homily by recounting a story of some Chinese people who were asked to name their favourite Gospel passage.

The account they liked the most was not what might have been expected — the Beatitudes, or the Resurrection, Bishop Campbell said.

Rather their favourite was the Last Supper story in John 13 of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples and bidding the disciples to do likewise.

Bishop Campbell preached on the identity of the bishop as servant. And he noted the invaluable service given by his own secretary Pauline Lee and indeed by all bishops’ secretaries.

All the bishops of New Zealand dioceses were concelebrants at the Mass with Bishop Campbell as principal celebrant. Also concelebrating were retired Bishops Denis Browne, Owen Dolan, Peter Cullinane, Stuart O’Connell, SM, and Basil Meeking and the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Martin Krebs, as well as dozens of priests from Dunedin diocese and from throughout New Zealand.

Archbishop Krebs read out the mandate from Pope Francis, in which the Pope noted the bishop-elect’s proven qualities, as well as his experience of theology and local pastoral matters.

“May the light, strength and joy of the Holy Spirit with the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary be always with you and with the very dear church community in the beloved New Zealand,” Pope Francis wrote.

At the start of the Mass, Bishop Campbell welcomed the bishops, priests and people, local MPs Clare Curran and Michael Woodhouse, Dunedin Mayor David Cull and Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt, University of Otago chancellor Dr Royden Somerville, QC, and Professor Paul Trebilco from the University of Otago Department of Theology and Religion, members of other churches and city councillors.

A Maori speech of greeting (mihi) was given by Richard Kerr-Bell.

During the Mass, the new bishop’s ring, mitre and staff were processed in by students from the four Catholic secondary schools in Dunedin diocese — St Kevin’s College, Oamaru, Kavanagh College, Dunedin, St Peter’s College, Gore, and Verdon College, Invercargill.

Communion thanksgiving hymns were sung by the Tongan and Filipino communities. The Samoan community presented the Book of Readings.

The Mass was live streamed and viewers included Bishop Dooley’s relatives in Ireland.

People’s positive reactions to liturgies and to new bishop

NZ Catholic asked four people for their reactions to the ordination and installation celebrations and to their new bishop.

Paul and Marie Langsford, Riversdale: Marie — the services were fantastic and we thoroughly enjoyed them. We were here for Bishop Boyle’s many years ago and so it was nice to come. Paul — the same. They were magnificent. I do know Bishop Michael’s brother John quite well, so that has brought us along, and also the fact that it is a new bishop for the diocese. I will reiterate what Marie said, we were here in 1983 for Bishop Len’s ordination, so it was great to be back.

Abigail Currie, Dunedin: They were beautiful services and I was honoured to be there and be part of [it]. I’m very excited to have Michael as our new bishop. It is going to be an exciting time ahead.

Br Graeme Donaldson, CFC, Dunedin: I thought last night was a great exhibition of Catholicity, of the Catholic Faith. The town hall was 1000 plus and it was just wonderful to see those 11 bishops on the stage, and the clergy. Today was wonderful and the Catholic people of the diocese — North, South and Central Otago and Southland, they really came out in their numbers for our new bishop.
Bishop Michael is a good man . . .a good choice among the clergy and we are so pleased to have him as our new bishop.

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A Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated on the feast of the Nativity of Mary to acknowledge and give thanks for Bishop Browne’s ministry during 55 years as a priest and 40 years as a bishop. The day was also the bishop’s 80th birthday.

At the Hamilton Mass were (from left) Bishop Colin Campbell, Cardinal Thomas Williams, Bishops Peter Cullinane, Denis Browne, Stephen Lowe and Owen Dolan.

Bishop Browne was the celebrant and with him were Bishop Stephen Lowe, Cardinal Thomas Williams, Bishops Peter Cullinane, Owen Dolan, and Colin Campbell and many priests and deacons of Hamilton diocese.

To the delight of Bishop Denis, his long-time friend Archbishop Sir David Moxon arrived unexpectedly. They were bishops respectively of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Peter’s Anglican Cathedral in Hamilton. They worked closely together and the two cathedrals held combined annual services for Ash Wednesday and Advent. Latterly, Sir David was appointed director of the Anglican Centre in Rome and was the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Representative to the Holy See. This was for a three-year term which ended in June of this year. Sir David explained to the surprised Bishop Denis that he had recently returned home.

Bishop Browne was ordained a priest on June 30, 1962, in St Patrick’s Cathedral in Auckland by Archbishop James Liston and served in Gisborne, Papatoetoe, Remuera, and Tonga.

He was ordained as a bishop in St Patrick’s Cathedral in Auckland on June 29, 1977 and served in the Cook Islands and Niue. He was the tenth Bishop of Auckland from 1983 until 24 August 1994 when he became Hamilton diocese’s second bishop following the death of Bishop Edward Gaines.

NZ Catholic asked several long time cathedral parishioners for their views on Bishop Browne and his influence on the diocese during the time he was Bishop of Hamilton.

Alan McAllen wrote: “Bishop Denis is a man of great faith and the [Hamilton] diocese experienced a spiritual renaissance under his leadership during the time he was our bishop. He led by example with his great love for prayer, the Mass, the sacraments and the Scriptures. He inspired and encouraged us to treasure these as the great gifts of faith. He also introduced us to ‘Proud to be Catholic’.

“Bishop Denis’ homilies were very special as one felt that they were addressed to you personally and they were very uplifting.

“Bishop Denis is a man with the common touch who always makes you feel at ease in his company. He is caring and compassionate and, when not away, frequently attends requiems of former parishioners he has known during the 20 years he was bishop”.

Another parishioner, Professor Peter Kamp, said, “Bishop Denis has shown enormous leadership in the area of promotion of Catholic school education in the Hamilton diocese. He oversaw the substantial rebuilding of many of the schools in the diocese and also has been very supportive of Roman Catholic chaplaincy on the campuses of the University of Waikato and the Waikato Institute of Technology.

“Bishop Denis developed ecumenical relations with the Anglican Diocese of Waikato and Taranaki. With Sir David Moxon they supported the establishment of the Te Ara Hou Christian Social Services Village on the former site of our diocesan centre on Morrinsville Rd.

“In recognition of the significant leadership Bishop Denis made to education of school children in the wider central North Island region, his support of the chaplaincy at the university, and his ecumenical leadership together with Sir David Moxon in bringing together their communities in worship, the Council of the University of Waikato awarded its highest honour, an Honorary Doctorate, to Bishop Denis (and also to Sir David Moxon) on 21 April 2016.”

In his homily on September 8, Bishop Browne thanked the people of the diocese for their love and support. He has made many friends in his time as their bishop.

A common sentiment in Hamilton diocese is to wish Bishop Browne very many happy, enjoyable, and relaxing years ahead and thank him for his loving and effective service for God and the Church.

The post Hundreds wish Bishop Denis well as three milestones marked at Mass appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

Then Bishop Dunn led a procession in which the graves of deceased clergy were blessed in the cemetery next to the church. The procession concluded at the grave of Archbishop James Liston.

At the Mass, the following jubilarians were acknowledged: 60 years – Msgr Brian Arahill, Msgr Ray Green, Frs Conrad Bryant, SM, Dave Mullins, SM, and Denzil Meuli;
50 years – Frs Matthew Clerkin, OFM Cap, Neil Darragh, Chris Loughnan, OP, Bruce McGill, CSsR, Terry Montgomery and Justin Taylor, SM; 40 years — Bishop Patrick Dunn, Fr Tim Costello, SM; 25 years — Frs Arul Arokiam, OFM, Andrew Antonio, MF,
Michael Endemann, Iosefo Timu, MF, Stephen Berecz.

The homily at the Mass was preached by Fr Justin Taylor, SM, based on the readings for the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica.

The Gospel of the day recounted Jesus casting the money changers and merchants from the Temple precinct in Jerusalem.

Fr Taylor noted that “we must not think that we have domesticated God in a building. Buildings come and buildings go, the Bible tells us, and God is free”.

God would “have us look to his more permanent dwelling place, in his Son and in ourselves”.

“Priests work in temples, even if they can, at times, do without them,” Fr Taylor noted.

“The risk is that priests might become mere administrators of sacred buildings, or mere functionaries of sacred institutions.

“Pope Francis keeps warning about that, but it is a classic theme of preachers and spiritual writers in all ages — how easy it is to grab the shadow and let go of the
substance. To hang on to the symbol without really grasping what is symbolised.

“At a much deeper level than a building and the rites administered there, we priests are called to loving service of Jesus, in whom all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell — and to loving service of his people who are God’s temple and in whom the
spirit of God dwells.

They are the twin poles of our priesthood  . . .”

“The more we really love Jesus, the more we will love and serve his people,” Fr Taylor added.

“And the more we are intent on tending the flock of God, the more we will be drawn into loving friendship with the chief shepherd.”

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Craig Norgate was in London last month with his wife and family, when he died suddenly.
Palmerston North Emeritus Bishop Owen Dolan and Stratford parish priest Msgr Dave Bell, SM, officiated at the funeral service.
Msgr Bell told NZ Catholic that Mr Norgate’s early schooling was at St Joseph’s Primary School in Hawera. He went from there to Hawera High School.
Former Hawera High School teacher and one-time Taranaki rugby coach Bill Batchelor spotted Norgate’s brilliance early on.
“When I first enrolled Craig Norgate we did IQ tests, and he was the brightest kid I’ve ever tested.”
Mr Norgate’s brother, Geoff, told about 700 family members, friends, colleagues, business leaders and politicians that Craig had “retired at 50” from what had been an “amazing race” through life.
“Despite having the biggest job in New Zealand at one stage, despite him having this huge intellectual capacity, amazing vision and purpose, in whatever he was doing at the time, to those who knew him well, he was always just Craig.
“Taranaki was where he was from, it kept him grounded and he would always find a reason to return when he could.”
Msgr Bell, in his homily, said it is not death that frightens people but a life without meaning.
“I don’t think we can say that of Craig.”
He not only worked hard, but played hard. “He enjoyed his rugby in particular.”
He was able to touch people.
He once made an ordinary occasion for a young boy into something special because he wanted to help, and it was his nature to reach out to others.
“During his life he has touched the hearts of many: in work or in play, his friends and especially his family.”
Speaking to him directly, he said: “You have loomed large in the lives of so many in this world, and we are grateful for that. Now that you have departed this life, may God welcome you with open arms
into eternal life, reward you for your faithfulness, your love and
the many kindnesses you have extended to others.
“May your soul rest in peace.”

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