Bishop's Office
Bishop of Auckland - Bishop Stephen Lowe
Bishop Stephen Marmion Lowe, was appointed Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Auckland on 18 December 2021.
Bishop Stephen Lowe was born in Hokitika, the youngest child of Milly and Frank Lowe, with two older sisters Margaret and Dorothy.
He was educated at Hokitika Primary School, then St Mary's Primary School and because there was no Catholic College in Hokitika he completed his secondary schooling at Westland High School.
Following school he worked for the NZ Forest Service in Hokitika and Christchurch and the NZ Timberlands in Timaru. During this time he became involved in his local parish in Timaru North where he was involved in a young adults group and with youth in the parish. In 1989 he discerned the call to priesthood and entered Holy Cross College seminary in Mosgiel in 1990. He completed his final year of seminary study at St Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia during 1994-1995. Bishop Stephen Lowe was ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Christchurch in his home town at Hokitika in 1996.
He served as the assistant priest in Mairehau, Ashburton and Greymouth parishes before being appointed parish priest of Timaru North. From 2005-2007 he completed a Licence in Spiritual Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He was appointed to Holy Cross Seminary in 2008 where he served as Formation Director until the end of 2014. While based at the Seminary in Auckland, he served, for a time, as Parish Priest in Ponsonby.
Bishop Emeritus of Auckland - Bishop Patrick Dunn
Bishop Patrick James Dunn was born on 5 February 1950 in England, the eldest of seven children of his parents, Dr Pat and June Dunn (both deceased), where his father was doing post-graduate study in obstetrics and gynaecology. They returned to New Zealand in December 1950 and established the family home in Remuera, Auckland.
He was educated at St Michael’s School, Remuera, Sacred Heart College, Glen Innes and the University of Auckland. He studied for the priesthood at the national seminary, Holy Cross College in Mosgiel, prior to ordination in 1976.
Following ordination, his pastoral work included time with the Catholic Maori Mission and in the parishes of Mangere East, Takapuna, Pakuranga and Northcote. During this time he was also diocesan Director of Vocations.
During 1988 and 1989 he studied at the Melbourne College of Divinity to obtain his Masters Degree in Theology.
He was appointed the personal assistant to Auckland’s Bishop Denis Browne in 1992 and ordained Auxiliary Bishop of Auckland on 25 July 1994. The following year, when Bishop Browne was appointed Bishop of Hamilton, Bishop Patrick was formally installed as 11th Bishop of Auckland on 29 March 1995.
Bishop Patrick's Motto is: Be not Afraid
These were the first words spoken by Pope John Paul II when he addressed the crowds after his election as Pope in 1978. They occur many times in the Scriptures.
Visiting Clergy
Visiting Priests and Deacons – permission to minister in New Zealand
The Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand welcomes priests and deacons visiting from overseas. We are committed to ensuring a safe Church and we thank you for complying with the expectations below in relation to your visit.
If you are a non-New Zealand or New Zealand citizen living overseas and intend to present yourself as a cleric or religious, or offer any form of ministry, while visiting New Zealand, you must adhere to the Safeguarding norms of the Catholic Church in New Zealand.
How to apply
Please submit the following documentation to the Bishop of Auckland's Office:
- The New Zealand Individual Safeguarding Declaration and Disclosure form (click HERE to download a Word form);
and
- The Church Authority Safeguarding Declaration and Disclosure completed by your Bishop, Provincial or Superior on his/her letterhead (signed and with a seal) (click HERE to open a PDF form).
and
- a copy of your current passport showing photo/name/date of birth etc
Where possible, email completed forms to the Bishop's Executive Assistant at least two weeks prior to your arrival. Please advise in your cover email if there are exceptional circumstances, such as a funeral, where your application needs to be processed under urgency.
The necessary permissions must be obtained before you arrive in New Zealand. You should not presume that permission will be given. It is important that you do not present yourself as a cleric or provide any form of public ministry in New Zealand prior to receiving written authorisation from the Bishop of Auckland.
If the Bishop of Auckland is satisfied with your application, he will grant ‘Permission to Minister in New Zealand for a Visiting Cleric’ stating what you are able to do. This permission will be recorded in writing and a copy will be sent to you and, if applicable, each Diocese you intend to visit.
When offering ministry (including concelebration) in any parish in New Zealand, the celebret (or equivalent) and ‘Permission to Minister in New Zealand for a Visiting Cleric’ must be shown to the parish and details recorded in the parish visitor book.
If you have any questions, please contact Anastasia Brown.
More about Bishop's Office
The Bishop’s Office provides support for the Bishop in his pastoral responsibilities. It assists the Bishop with correspondence and in his communications with other dioceses and national and international Church agencies, and receives and investigates concerns relating to parishes, priests and schools.
The office coordinates the appointment and support of diocesan clergy and assists clergy and religious communities with immigration issues. It also responds to general enquiries about diocesan matters and where appropriate refers them to the relevant Church agency.
For assistance please use our Directory to contact Executive Assistant, Bishop's Office, Anastasia Brown.
Remembering the Church in your will
By leaving a bequest to the Church you leave a legacy that will benefit the Church into the future, a gift that will be greatly appreciated.
Your bequest is your choice - it may be part of your estate, an item of value, a sum of money - whether large or small it will be put to good use.
Sample wording
"... to the Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland for the time being to use for the general purposes of the diocese as he sees fit, I give and bequeath ..."
