As a new Catholic (a convert with only 2 years under my belt) who has spent just under half of my life living in England, my New Zealand History is sketchy to say the least, let alone the Catholic History of New Zealand! 

So, when I signed up in 2024 to assist as part of the volunteer team for Footsteps of Pompallier Pilgrimage, I naturally was very curious about who Bishop Pompallier was and what it was like for him and the other Catholic missionaries he brought to New Zealand in the 1800’s. And what the significance of Hokianga in Northland was with regards to the early Catholic Missionaries to New Zealand.

When I journeyed to Northland to look over the route of the pilgrimage (which included visiting St Mary’s Church at Motuti where Bishop Pompallier’s remains are interred under the altar) I began to realise just how incredibly fascinating this history is.

The fact that his remains were disinterred from France and, with the permission of his family, brought back to rest in Hokianga by the local Catholics made me want to find out more about his story and why he meant so much to these people.

While I was pondering this I came upon, by the Grace of God in a box of second hand books being discarded no less, “The Life and Times of Bishop Pompallier” by Lillian Keys, and what a page turner of a book that turned out to be!

I could not put it down until I had finished it. The unfolding story of Jean Baptiste Francois Pompallier his childhood in France and becoming a priest to how he ended up being made the first Catholic Bishop of Western Oceania is an unusual tale in itself. 

The journey to arrive here in New Zealand, with a small party of Marist Brothers amazed me. It was unbelievably slow and arduous. Bishop Pompallier had to deal with not even knowing what they would find, having very little money or resources, finding ships that would take them to where they needed to go, not knowing the language when they arrived and most of all being calumniated by protestant ministers thus greatly endangering their lives as they journeyed through places where the local people were still very tribal and knew little about the outside world.

The hardships they faced are very difficult to understand with a modern perspective. No roads, no electricity, no supplies, having to build everything they needed themselves, having to learn new languages before they could start to evangelise, no telephone or fast mail. Correspondence took months to arrive at its destination (if it arrived at all due to ships going down). And leaving all family and civilised life behind in Europe, knowing they may well die on the journey and never return,in favour of a great deal of hardship was courageous to put it lightly. 

Missionaries were left in remote places to fend for themselves for months and even years at a time with few resources, if any, due to the great difficulty in travelling such large distances at the time. 

The picture that emerged for me was one of true heroism in bringing the Catholic faith to the people of Western Oceania. Deep faith, strength of character and complete conviction in God, being prepared to put their lives on the line solely for the spiritual benefit of others.

Next I read “Bishop Pompallier the First Catholic Bishop of New Zealand” by Diane Taylor which details the reverence held by the Catholic Maori of New Zealand, the incredibly touching story of how his remains came back to New Zealand and the Hikoi made upon his return to Catholic communities around New Zealand before he was laid to rest at Motuti.

I then was compelled to read Bishop Pompallier’s Journals translated into English and published in 1888: “The Early History of The Catholic Church in Oceania” (Downloadable here in many formats. Latest edition in print available to purchase here.)

The more I learnt about their mission the more I realised just how exceptional Bishop Jean Baptiste Francois Pompallier was as a man, and the incredible hardships he (alongside the other missionaries he brought here) bore to bring the Catholic faith to New Zealand and other Pacific islands.

I thoroughly encourage anyone to read about his life and to know what it was like for these missionaries.

It gave me a clear perspective on why it is important to honour Bishop Pompallier and the first Catholic Missionaries to New Zealand.

In some small way we attempt to honour these faithful servants of God with a walk of 100km in their footsteps, a minor cross compared to theirs. Our efforts are a tiny amount in comparison to their overwhelmingly mammoth task of bringing Catholicism to the people of New Zealand  in the 1800s. 

The story of their journey is too large to fit into just one short news item, and this is the first of several articles dedicated to these missionaries and their tireless work to bring the Catholic Faith to the antipodes.

Their mission still continues to this day, nearly 100 years later, and is eminently relevant as I can attest to with my recent conversion.