Our People

Parish Priest - Father Philip Billing

Father Philip arrived in the Parish 6th September 2019.

Assistant Parish Priest - Father Rico Enriquez

I am Fr Rico P. Enriquez.  I was ordained to the Priesthood on 31st July 1997 for the Archdiocese of Davao, Philippines.  It is a privilege for me to work as Priest, especially in the Diocese of Hamilton, New Zealand.  And it is very much a challenging assignment for me to work in St Thomas Aquinas Parish, as it is a huge Parish.  Nonetheless, it is not more of what I  can give in the Diocese and in the Parish but more importantly of what I can learn from the Diocese of Hamilton and from the Parish Church in Tauranga, New Zealand.

In my spare time I would enjoy walking, writing, reading and swimming.  I would love fish and vegetables for food.

God bless you all !

Bendisyonan kayo ng Dios! (Tagalog - Filipino)

Ang Dios mag-bendisyon kaninyong tanan! (cebuano)

Ka manaakitia koe e te Atua

Keep me in your prayers, as I keep you in my prayers, that my stay here in New Zealand, Diocese of Hamilton, and the Parish of Tauranga will be blessed and fruitful.

Assistant Parish Priest - Father Peter Kim 

Welcome to Father Peter, the new Korean Chaplain for our Diocese and Assistant Priest in our parish.  Father Peter is from the Wonju Diocese in South Korea and has been a priest for eight years. 

Deacon Ricky Kuka

Tena tatou katoa. Tenei te mihi atu ki a koutou ra i runga i te aroha o to tatou Ariki. Noku te honore ki te mihi atu i tenei wa.
I am most privileged to be chosen by God to serve His people as a Deacon. I hail from Te Puna where I live with my wife Donna, and I have five brothers and one sister. My primary school years were at St Joseph’s Convent in Te Puna, and my secondary schooling was at Hato Petera College in Auckland.
Kia ora tatou! Ma te Atua e tiaki i a tatou katoa i nga wa katoa.

Deacon Sidney Wells (Retired)

My name is Deacon Sidney Wells, known as Sid. I am married with two children, ten grandchildren and at the moment six great grandchildren. I was ordained in England on 25th May 1991. My wife and I followed our son and daughter and their small families to come to New Zealand in September 1996, and joined St. Mary Immaculate Parish in 1997. I was asked by Bishop Denis Brown to be Port Chaplain, joined the Apostleship of the Sea as their chaplain, having served as Port Chaplain for 19 years. I assist the Priests at Mass, and have assisted with many baptisms, weddings, funerals and so on. I have also assisted with the training of the Altar servers.

Deacon Don Beckett (Retired)

Deacon Don Beckett was ordained a deacon for the Diocese of Hamilton in 2013. He has served in the Parish of St Thomas Aquinas in a variety of roles: preaching, proclaiming the Gospel, celebrating baptisms, weddings and funerals, and taking Holy Communion to the sick and infirm.

Margie Cooper

Parish Administrative & Pastoral Coordinator:
I feel blessed to be a part of the Parish of St Thomas Aquinas community and to be working alongside Father Philip and the Cluny Sisters. Attending a Catholic Primary school I grew up having close connections with the Parish Community. I am a member of All Saints by-the-Sea Parish (St Thomas More Church), am married to Carl and have had a long association with St Mary’s School and Aquinas College through my children. It has been an absolute privilege to serve as a Proprietor’s Representative on the Aquinas College Board of Trustees.
Together with the Parish Pastoral Council and Father Philip, I am looking forward to being a part of the Parish Vision and Mission going into the future.

Cheryl Standring

Pastoral Assistant
Hello, I am delighted to become part of the church team as Pastoral Assistant. I was born and raised in Hamilton but have called Tauranga home for over 30 years. I am married to Greg and have 3 adult sons and 2 beautiful granddaughters. I have worked in the community in various positions as a health Social Worker until earlier this year.
I have been a Christian for many years but didn’t have a spiritual home until my husband and I decided that we wanted to return to church. As Greg was raised a Catholic, attending St Marys School in Tauranga, that was a natural choice. Coming to St Marys felt like coming home for me, consequently I went through the RCIA programme and was confirmed and baptised as a Catholic at Easter 2004. Since then I have become a Eucharistic Minister of Holy Communion and am currently involved in one of the homegroups. I look forward to further participating in church life and serving the Lord through this ministry.

Leanne Brooks

Hospital Chaplain:
Hi, I’m Leanne Brooks and I am the Catholic hospital chaplain based at Tauranga Hospital.
It’s a great privilege and I feel very blessed to be in this role, as I become involved in the spiritual care of patients in hospital.
Being in hospital can truly be a stressful time not only for the patient but also for family and loved ones, so please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like me to visit, or if you would simply like a listening ear!
A bit about me: I have until recently lived in Christchurch, and moved to Tauranga with my husband Hamish and our daughter Hannah – and we are loving it! I have worked in health and was previously working at Christchurch and Burwood hospitals, which I really enjoyed.
For me my heart has always been my compass, and my heart is fully about caring for people. It’s about being available to help people in a time of need and to help them understand their situation - this is something so very special.
Please say hi and know I am only too happy to come visit you or a loved one should you come into the hospital. You can telephone the Parish Office at 578 6209, or telephone me on 0210563326.

Monique de Vega

Youth Coordinator:
“As Youth Co-ordintor for 2019, it is my vision to provide the youth with a Spirit led programme centered on Christ and His Church.
A programme where youth can have fun through games and activities, while receiving solid teachings on the Catholic Faith and building a personal relationship with Jesus through the Sacraments.
Youth Ministry has been a passion of mine since being involved in youth leadership, programmes and events in previous years. I am really looking forward to meeting and working with the youth throughout the year!
“Young people are not just the future of our Church but the present.” - Pope Francis”

MONIQUE WILL BE ON MATERNITY LEAVE from September to December (2019). For any Youth Group inquiries please contact:
Aubrey & Jen Liew
Mobile: 027 5621334
Email: aubreyliew@gmail.com

Parish Pastoral Council Members:

Father Philip 

Terry Consedine (Chair)

Sue Connell

Clare Kowalewski

Shona Woodhead

Clare Sokimi

Jo Scott

Gavin Hesqua

Parish Finance Committee:

Father Philip, Ashley Hayes (Chairman), Sue Connell, Andrew Burn, Brendon Bradley.

"In each parish there is a finance committee to help the parish priest in the administration of the goods of the parish..." (Canon Law, p.537)

Parish Contacts and Organisations