SVD - Celebrating 100 Years

New Zealand 20 I n the mid-1980s the SVD was invited by Bishop Denis Browne to work among disadvantaged youth in the Diocese of Auckland and Cardinal Tom Williams of Wellington, asked if the SVD could also come to the Archdiocese of Wellington, to work with the Polynesian people who had migrated to New Zealand after the Second World War and to assist in youth ministry. In Auckland, the SVD worked in the juvenile justice system, at two juvenile detention centres and a prison. Confreres shared a house in Otara, provided by Auckland Diocese, with 6-9 teenage youths who were entrusted to the SVD’s care by the Social Welfare Department, while regularly visiting the detention centres and the prison. After a few years the confreres in Auckland joined the Diocesan Youth Team in the hope that this team would form the nucleus of an outreach by active Catholic youth to disadvantaged youth. This hope was never realised. In Wellington, the SVDs joined the Archdiocesan Youth Team, and they lived and worked together with John Dew, who is now the Cardinal Archbishop of Wellington. A few years later, the SVD took on the administration of Taita Parish. Time passed by, and our mission evolved to what it is now, assisted by many confreres who have brought their special gifts to our NZ presence. Currently the SVD has Fr Marlon Maylon and Fr John Quang Phan in parish ministry with the hope that another three will soon join them to continue to expand the SVD presence in Wellington Archdiocese. Fr Alejandro de la Sotta Dominguez is serving the Spanish-speaking community in Auckland and Fr Bernard Espiritu, was appointed Director of the Pontifical Mission Society New Zealand in 2012. A devastating earthquake in Wellington in 2016, left St Patrick’s Church badly damaged, and it was subsequently renovated and the structure strengthened. Fundraising, building and financial committees all came to work together. Community members and ethnic groups brought whatever skills they had and contributed as much as they could. On 3rd June 2017, Cardinal Dew, blessed and reopened the church. l-r: Fr John Quang Phan, Fr Bernard Espiritu, Fr Heinz Kulüke, former Superior General & Fr Marlon Maylon. Cardinal Dew consecrates the altar at the newly rebuilt church. The SVDs were able to meet the need for a Spanish-speaking Chaplain in Auckland. Fr Alejandro de la Sotta Dominguez from Chile was assigned to this ministry.