One of our staff members is adding information to the Index Auckland online database from a Catholic Church periodical called Te waka o Hato Petera = The ship of St. Peter  that we have in our Māori collection in the Research Centre.


Ref: Map of Mill Hill Māori Centres in New Zealand

It captures the Māori catholic community of the north of the North Island and is related to the Mill Hill missionaries who first arrived in New Zealand in 1886.

The Hill Mill Missionaries came out from London and were responsible for the revival of Catholic missions in the Auckland Diocese in the late 19th century. These missioner priests identified completely with their  Māori congregations making themselves masters of the Māori language.

Ref: Wedding bells in the parishes, Summer 1963 edition.

We have a limited run of these serials but they are a gold mine, chronicling daily events within the community from 1963 to 1967. Included are obituaries, crosswords (English to Māori), marriages, and news from the parishes.

Regards
Bridget