Divine Word Missionaries are engaged in parish ministry in both the Archdioceses of Auckland and Wellington.
The parishes are large, multicultural communities of faith, featuring strong collaboration between clergy and lay people in the spirit of synodality.
Archdiocese of Wellington
Parish of the Holy Spirit
The Divine Word Missionaries have the pastoral care of the Parish of the Holy Spirit in Wellington Archdiocese and work with other priests and lay pastoral leaders as part of a new expression of collaborative ministry. Parish Priest is Fr Marlon Maylon SVD.
The parish is made up of four churches, Sacred Heart Parish, Petone, St Patrick's Wainuiomata, Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Waiwhetu and San Antonio Church, Eastbourne.
The parish is is a multicultural community, made up primarily of Kiwi, Maori, Pacific Islander, Filipino and Sri Lankan peoples.
Te Awakairangi Parish
The Te Awakairangi Parish in the Lower Hutt region of New Zealand’s Wellington Archdiocese is a large, culturally rich and diverse parish where the people are warm and welcoming and committed to a missionary outlook which is deeply grounded in the primacy of evangelisation.
Established in 2015, the parish is comprised of four churches and has been in the pastoral care of the Divine Word Missionaries since January 2024.
Parish Priest is Fr Kommareddy Rajasekhar Reddy (Fr Raja) SVD.
Te Awakairangi Parish is the largest parish in the Archdiocese of Wellington and is home to about 3000 parishioners from many cultures.
The parish is composed of the churches of St Michael’s, St Bernadette’s, St Martin de Porres, and Ss Peter & Paul and covers the residential areas of Central Hutt, Avalon, Naenae, Taita, Fairfield, Alicetown, Maungaraki, Normandale, Harbour View and Belmont.
The parish was given the name Te Awakairangi after the original Maori name for the Hutt River. Over time the name grew to be used as the name for the Hutt Valley. “Te Awa” means the river, and “kairangi” describes it as a precious river that meanders across the valley.
Archdiocese of Auckland
St Bernadette's Parish
Fr Alejandro (Alex) de la Sotta SVD has been warmly welcomed as Parish Priest of St Bernadette’s Parish in the vibrant heart of Auckland.
Situated in the Mount Wellington area of Auckland city, Fr Alex said the parish is a flourishing community.
Fr Alex said the parish is of moderate size but is full of vitality, comprised of about 200 families.
“Our remarkable cultural diversity sets us apart, with most parishioners hailing from the Pacific Islands, especially Tonga and Samoa. This cultural diversity enriches our activities and celebrations, blending traditions and practices from different origins.”
