Journey with the Archivist
A monstrance is an open or transparent receptacle in which the consecrated Host is displayed for veneration and benediction. This photograph is from the centenary celebrations of the Auckland Diocese in 1938. The monstrance is being raised for Benediction of the crowd. The celebrations took place in the Auckland Domain. The archives has a collection of monstrances that have been transferred due to damage, updating or missing pieces. Here is a closer look at some of the items in the collection. The most important monstrance in our collection is this sliver monstrance that was given …
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Last ANZAC day the blog highlighted items of Bishop Cleary, chaplain during World War I. This year we are highlighting items in the collection from two of our World War II chaplains Fr John Pierce Fr James Henley Fr James Henley, born 10 September 1903, ordained 1926. He joined the army soon after the outbreak of the Second World War and went on to become the longest serving chaplain of any denomination. Fr Henley served in the Dunedin Diocese but retired to Auckland. He died in 1981 We have his portable alter. Fr John Pierce, born 2 July 1910, ordained …
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Last week I had the opportunity to drive a minibus of pilgrims to significant sites in Northland from the beginnings of the Catholic Church in New Zealand. This gave me a deeper appreciation for items in the collection, where they had been, where they were written and the places they describe. Here are some of sites and the items in the collection that relate to them. Totara Point The site of the first mass celebrated by Bishop Pompallier. The mass was celebrated in the home of Thomas and Mary Poynton on January 13 1838. We have his travelling altar and …
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Ash Wednesday, 5 March saw the completion of two projects for the archives. In the afternoon Bishop Steve blessed Ronald Morris’ grave 102 years after his death. You can read more of Ronald’s story and how the headstone came to be here –https://www.aucklandcatholic.org.nz/2024/10/29/all-souls-day-1-november-remembering-ronald-morris/ The blessing was attended by staff of the Pompallier centre and four Sisters of Mercy, one of whom talked about how her own father had been admitted to St Joseph’s Orphanage at the age of 4 in the same year as the fire. We talked about archives holding the traces of those marginalised and powerless in our …
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Our General Manager recently heard a story about one of the items in our collection and asked if it could be put on display for the Jubilee year. The item was the pectoral cross that was worn by Bishop Luck. Bishop Luck On 11 May 1902 Mother Mary MacKillop suffered a stroke while in Rotorua. The events of this time are narrated in a letter from Sr Patricia Campbell to Sr La Merci Mahony. Saint Mary MacKillop The Bishop Referred to is Bishop George Lenihan. He had accompanied Bishop Luck from England to New Zealand …
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Over the past year over 400 people have viewed the copy of the treaty held by the Auckland Catholic Diocese archive. Given the current focus on Treaty here is the blog post from last year. Locked in the safe is one of the few drafts of the Treaty of Waitangi held outside of the National Archives. The draft signed by Governor Hobson was given to the Diocese by Dr Neville Hogg in 1986. Here is a photo of the Treaty and accompanying information from Dr Hogg. Pompallier was present at Waitangi and writes of his experience in his Early History …
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On St Mary’s Road is a house built around 1850. However the current location was not its original site. The Auckland Diocese was formed in 1848 . In the 1850s Bishop Pompallier moved his base to Auckland from Northland and in December 1853 purchased the property and house named Clanaboy. He renamed the house St Anne’s. This was Bishop Pompallier’s first residence in Auckland The following schedule of diocesan land is in Bishop Pompallier’s handwriting and is dated by him on the verso – 19 fev 1868. You can read about the history of the house in the New Zealand …
Read More about The wandering bishop’s house – a piece of Auckland History for Auckland Anniversary.
On the 12th of January 2025 the Diocese celebrates the anniversary of the first Mass prayed by Bishop Pompallier in the home of the Poynton family at Totara Point in January 1838. Thomas and Mary Poynton from the Archive Photograph Collection The Poyntons were the first documented laity in New Zealand. You can read about them in Nicholas Reid’s Founders and Keepers – Men and Women Who Made the Catholic Diocese of Auckland, CPC Publishing 2011. In 1965 descendants of the Poynton Family presented Bishop James Liston with the Poynton family bible. As with many family bibles the details of …
Read More about Remembering the Poynton Family on the Anniversary of the First Mass