"Parishes should be close-knit communities, without bureaucracy, people-centered - a place where the gift of the sacraments can be found.
They have to become, once again, schools of service and generosity, with their doors always open to those who are excluded."
Our People - "Behold, the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb."
Parish Priest – Father Philip Billing
Father Philip arrived in the Parish 6th September 2019.
He is currently on leave from the Parish until the end of January 2023.
I was ordained in St Mary Immaculate Church Hamilton on 20th September 2002. In 2016 I spent time in Melbourne studying at the Heart of Life Spirituality Centre, completing the “Siloam’ programme, a one year formation programme for Spiritual Directors.
MONDAY 15th AUGUST 2022:
Bishop Steve Lowe the Apostolic Administrator of our diocese and his consultors have granted me leave of absence from the parish until January to support a family member in their ongoing care and well-being. Fr Arnold has been appointed the Administrator of the parish in my absence and Fr Adam Kirkeby who was newly ordained to the priesthood last Saturday at the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Hamilton has been appointed to assist Fr Arnold. Fr Adam will join our faith community later this coming week.
It is business as usual as they say. Please continue to support Fathers Arnold and Adam with your prayer, love and practical care.
Administrator of the Parish – Father Arnold Punzalan
Assistant Parish Priest – Father Adam Kirkeby
Fr Adam Kirkeby’s vocation story didn’t start with a great revelation or an “aha!” moment. Rather, it was a call in quiet moments, a gentle pull, something that was always there waiting for him to respond. “It was something that I started to feel drawn to when I was a very young boy. Sometimes it would go into the background, but it always came back,” he told NZ Catholic.
Bishop Stephen Lowe, apostolic administrator of Hamilton diocese, ordained Fr Kirkeby on August 6 2022, at the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Hamilton.
The new priest told NZ Catholic that, when he was a boy, he would sometimes “play priest”. “I’d set up a little altar or a prayer table and put a cloth on it, have the soft toys lined-up. One time, I made a stole out of toilet paper. I got promptly told off by mum,” he said, laughing at the recollection.
With three priests in the family, there wasn’t a lack of good example to follow. Fr Chris Skinner, SM, is an uncle, while Frs Bob Lee, SM, and former Puhoi parish priest Fr Frank Skinner are great uncles.
Faith was fostered in a loving home environment. “Right from when I was young, faith was part of my life. It was never forced or anything like that. It was just an organic part of life,” he said. “It was nurtured in a very loving way, a very supportive and gentle way in my family.”
Fr Kirkeby recalled that his mum used to read him the Fatima story using a cartoon version. “[The Fatima story] helped [me] fall in love with the faith. It was really nice this year when Pope Francis consecrated Russia and Ukraine, that was a great moment. We were in the church watching it live early in the morning,” he said.
Fr Kirkeby taught at Catholic primary schools in Taupo, Hamilton and Tokoroa for six years.
(Excerpt from NZ Catholic Article by Rowena Orejana, August 15, 2022)
Margie Cooper
Parish Administration
Deacon Mark Hassett
Wendy Showan
Parish Pastoral Coordinator:
Leanne Brooks
Hospital Chaplain
Deacon Ricky Kuka
Parish Finance Committee:
Father Arnold, Ashley Hayes (Chairman), 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
| Parish Administrator | Father Arnold Punzalan | 578 6209 | frarnold@taurangamoanacatholic.nz | |
| Assistant Priest | Father Adam Kirkeby | 578 6209 | fradam@taurangamoanacatholic.nz | |
| Deacon | Mark Hassett | 578 6209 | markhassett@taurangamoanacatholic.nz | |
| Parish Administration | Margie Cooper | 578 6209 | 027 649 0549 | office@taurangamoanacatholic.nz |
| Parish Pastoral Coordinator | Wendy Showan | 578 6209 | pastoralcoordinator@taurangamoanacatholic.nz | |
| Hospital Chaplain | Leanne Brooks | 578 6209 | 021 056 3326 | |
| Parish Finance | Ashley Hayes | 578 5190 | 021 634 786 | sartorial@kinect.co.nz |
| Parish Pastoral Council (Chair) | TBA | parishcouncil@taurangamoanacatholic.nz | ||
| Cluny Retreat Centre | 578 5220 | clunyretreatcentre@gmail.com | ||
| Youth Group Contact | TBA | |||
| Matakana Island Catholic Community | Mark & Demita Ngatai | 578 7638 | 027 210 1296 | |
| Deacon | Ricky Kuka | 552 4149 | rickodonna@xtra.co.nz | |
| Organists (Coordinator) | Viviene Stefadouros | 544 7271 | 027 453 2766 | tomandviv@xtra.co.nz |
| Sacramental Programme | Please contact the Parish office | |||
| Aquinas College Principal | Matthew Dalton | 543 2400 | mdalton@aquinas.school.nz | |
| Aquinas College D.R.S. | Leon Roberson | 543 2400 | lroberson@aquinas.school.nz | |
| St Mary’s Primary School Principal | James Murray | 578 8066 | jmurray@stmarystga.school.nz | |
| St Mary’s Primary School D.R.S. | Fay Warnock | 578 8066 | fwarnock@stmarystga.school.nz | |
| R.C.I.A. (Becoming Catholic) | Katherine Scott | 020 4154 7782 | katherineabbott1994@gmail.com | |
| Baptism Preparation | Parish Office | 578 6209 | office@taurangamoanacatholic.nz | |
| St Vincent de Paul | Shop – Tauranga | 578 8218 | ||
Welfare Office (Lorna Edlin) | 578 3814 Ex. 2 | 021 047 7144 | ||
| Helpline | 021 0298 7817 | |||
| Catholic Family Support Services | 07 8563760 | referrals@cfss.org.nz | ||
Marriage Preparation Marriage Preparation (Hamilton Diocese) | 07 8566989 |
