{"id":3171,"date":"2025-09-02T21:20:33","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T21:20:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ametur-msc.org\/website\/?p=3171"},"modified":"2025-09-30T21:32:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T21:32:00","slug":"everywhere-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ametur-msc.org\/website\/everywhere-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"Everywhere: Mission"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mid\u2011North Region, Auckland Diocese, New Zealand<\/h3>\n

\"Auckland<\/p>\n

In late 2024, Bishop Stephen Lowe of Auckland invited several Australian missionary congregations to serve in the remote Mid\u2011North region of his diocese. Initially declined, the MSC Provincial reconsidered the proposal in Council after a survey by the Province Secretary. The opportunity was then offered to the young MSC Vietnam Community of the Australian Province as its first official overseas mission. In May 2025, two members \u2014 Fr. Hoang Huy Nguyen and Fr. Bang Hai Dinh \u2014 were invited to visit and discern.<\/p>\n

Historical Significance. The Mid\u2011North holds profound importance for the Catholic Church in New Zealand. Bishop Jean\u2011Baptiste Fran\u00e7ois Pompallier, regarded as the Church\u2019s patriarch in Aotearoa, celebrated the first Mass at Totara Point (now Panguru Parish) on 13 January 1838. Arriving with only French, he quickly learned English and M\u0101ori, establishing mission stations across the region. His respect for M\u0101ori culture and advocacy for their concerns led to over 45,000 conversions in a few years. Pompallier was present at the 1840 signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, securing the inclusion of an \u201cunwritten fourth article\u201d guaranteeing religious freedom and protection of M\u0101ori customs. This legacy makes the Mid\u2011North a place of national and ecclesial heritage, now entrusted to the MSC Vietnam Community.<\/p>\n

\"Auckland<\/p>\n

\"Auckland<\/p>\n

Context & Mission. The mission territory spans coast\u2011to\u2011coast, from the Tasman Sea to the Pacific Ocean, and is currently served by three priests based in Kaikohe, Panguru, and Kaitaia. These centres oversee:
\n\u00b7 Kaikohe: 3 parishes, 7 Eucharistic communities
\n\u00b7 Panguru: 2 parishes, 10 Eucharistic communities
\n\u00b7 Kaitaia: 1 parish, 3 Eucharistic communities
\nCommunities range from tourist towns (Russell, Paihia, Mang\u014dnui) to remote M\u0101ori settlements (Panguru, Pawarenga) and off\u2011grid farming villages (Whirinaki). Each manages its own finances and buildings, with strong commitment to the Eucharist.<\/p>\n

Like many rural areas, the population has declined as youth move to cities for work. However, new migrants (Filipino, Indian, Korean, Vietnamese) and returning M\u0101ori retirees are reshaping the demographic. Bishop Lowe notes a cultural and spiritual renaissance in New Zealand, especially among younger M\u0101ori, and believes the Church must actively participate in this revival. To that end, he has appointed a M\u0101ori cultural and linguistic ambassador to bridge Church and M\u0101ori communities, encouraging clergy to learn M\u0101ori culture, recognise its Christian resonances, and celebrate Mass in Te Reo.<\/p>\n

The MSC Vietnam Community\u2019s mission is to be a pastoral presence \u201cat Ground Zero,\u201d accompanying the faithful in their spiritual journey. They will work alongside a M\u0101ori deacon and katekita (catechists), whose ministry dates back to Pompallier\u2019s time and subsequent missionary orders.<\/p>\n

\"Auckland<\/p>\n

Sacred Sites & Communities. The territory includes St. Mary\u2019s Church, Motuti \u2014 housing Pompallier\u2019s remains \u2014 and the Russell church, New Zealand\u2019s National Shrine of St Peter Chanel, with a permanent relic. The mission also serves century\u2011old farming communities and new off\u2011grid settlers in Whirinaki.<\/p>\n

Conclusion. Despite the distances and varied pastoral needs, the MSC Vietnam Community believes \u201cHeart Spirituality\u201d has a place in the peripheries of New Zealand. Encouraged by the Auckland Priests\u2019 Assembly, they begin their first overseas mission with the support of your prayer and the intercession of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, aspiring to be \u201con earth the heart of God.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kenji Konda, MSC<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mid\u2011North Region, Auckland Diocese, New Zealand In late 2024, Bishop Stephen Lowe of Auckland invited several Australian missionary congregations to serve in the remote Mid\u2011North region of his diocese. Initially declined, the MSC Provincial reconsidered the proposal in Council after a survey by the Province Secretary. The opportunity was then offered to the young MSC Vietnam Community of the Australian Province as its first official overseas mission. In May 2025, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":86,"featured_media":3172,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3171","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-about-us","category-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ametur-msc.org\/website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3171","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ametur-msc.org\/website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ametur-msc.org\/website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ametur-msc.org\/website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/86"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ametur-msc.org\/website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3171"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ametur-msc.org\/website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3171\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3177,"href":"https:\/\/ametur-msc.org\/website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3171\/revisions\/3177"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ametur-msc.org\/website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3172"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ametur-msc.org\/website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3171"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ametur-msc.org\/website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3171"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ametur-msc.org\/website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3171"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}