Bishops' pilgrimage celebrates faith passed down for generations

Hundreds of people who gathered to celebrate the anniversary of the first Mass celebrated on New Zealand soil have been urged to be “bearers of hope and peace to one another” during the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year.

Archbishop Gabor Pinter, the apostolic nuncio to New Zealand, reflected on the hope that was evident in those who were present in January 1838, when Bishop Jean-Baptiste Pompallier and other priests celebrated Mass in the home of Thomas and Mary Poynton at Totara Point.

“With the first Miha (Mass) started New Zealand’s own pilgrimage of hope; a pilgrimage we continue on to this time,” he said.

“In essence, the first Catholic Mass in New Zealand represents the beginning of a journey of faith, cultural interaction, and community-building that continues to influence the country's religious and social fabric, and our own lives today.”

Archbishop Pinter, who took up the role as papal ambassador to New Zealand and the Pacific last year, placed that hope in the context of the Jubilee Year, which Pope Francis recently opened.

“The Holy Father is inviting us to embark on a spiritual journey. In this sense, this our pilgrimage of today, this hikoi, is not just a physical journey to a sacred place but a metaphor for our spiritual journey towards God,” he said.

“Bishop Pompallier and his missionary companions left behind the comforts of home to seek God’s presence in Aotearoa. They were able to make that journey, that hikoi, because they hoped in God’s boundless mercy and love.

“We too are invited to go on our own journey, hikoi, leave our comfort zones, seeking a deeper connection with the Divine, and opening our hearts to God's grace and guidance. I see all of you here present as an embodiment of this spiritual pilgrimage.”

Carrying forward the Jubilee theme of “Pilgrims of Hope”, the nuncio said hope must be the focus of that spiritual pilgrimage.

“In a world often marked by uncertainty, suffering and division, hope sustains us and points us towards a future filled with God's promises. Hope is not mere wishful thinking, but a confident expectation rooted in God's faithfulness.

“As pilgrims of hope, we are called to be bearers of this hope, shining God's light in the world and inspiring others to trust in His promises.”

Auckland Bishop Steve Lowe, president of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, was the principal celebrant at the Mass. He was joined by the bishops of all New Zealand dioceses.

Bishop Lowe reflected on the decision Pope Gregory XVI made to appoint Bishop Pompallier to New Zealand, and how Pope Francis – through the apostolic nuncio – continues to provide for the Church at the ends of the earth.

The New Zealand bishops designated two key pilgrimages they would undertake together during the Jubilee Year – to Totara Point on the second Sunday in January, and to St Mary of the Angels, the national Marian shrine, for the Feast of Our Lady of the Assumption, New Zealand’s patronal feast day.

Following the Mass at Totara Point, many pilgrims joined the bishops in traveling to the church at Motukaraka, where Bishop Pompallier’s decision to place New Zealand under the protection of Our Lady Assumed in Heaven is reflected in a painting.

The bishops finally travelled to St Mary’s Church in Motuti, the resting place of Bishop Pompallier.

They heard about the history and significance of both those houses of worship, and prayed for the Catholics who have preceded them in carrying on the faith in Aotearoa New Zealand.