Significant appointment for the Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand

The New Zealand bishops today announced that Deacon Danny Karatea-Goddard will be taking on a new part-time role with Secretariat for Te Huinga o nga Pihopa Katorika o Aotearoa / the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference supporting the secretariat and the bishops in their commitment to Katorika Maori.�

�This is a highly significant appointment which deepens the bi-cultural partnership of the Church in Aotearoa and further recognises the considered advice of Te Runanga o te Hahi Katorika ki Aotearoa on the great need to strengthen the place and space of Maori in the Catholic Church�, said Bishop Patrick Dunn, President of Te Huinga o nga Pihopa Katorika o Aotearoa / the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference.

On his new appointment Deacon Karatea-Goddard said, �Many would not know that my wife Maru and I were born in Wellington and I grew up and was educated there. We are both first recipients of Whakatupuranga Ruamano � Generation 2000, a tribal plan initiated in the 1970s by the Confederation of Ngati Raukawa-te-au-ki-te-Tonga, Ngati Toarangatira and Te Ati Awa. Both my late parents were community advocates for social justice and peace, unionism, lifelong education and kaumatua of Pipitea marae. My mother�s family still reside in Wellington City and my father�s whanau in Tainui-Maniapoto and North Auckland. It has always been our intention to come home to Wellington, to seek work which would enable Maru and me to serve and minister to the community that nurtured us during our formative years. I feel privileged that the opportunity to do this has come in the form of a role which continues my work with te Hahi Katorika.�

�The bishops are grateful that Deacon Karatea-Goddard will be supporting us in the kaupapa of growing our faith among Maori�, said Bishop Dunn

�The role that he will take up with the bishops on a part-time basis will also help us with some of the detailed work needed in areas of translations and communications.�

�Deacon Danny also has considerable pastoral experience and we look forward to the contribution he will make.�

�Deacon Karatea-Goddard has been working in the Palmerston North Diocese as Vicar to Maori and while his role with the Bishops� Conference secretariat is part-time, he will also have direct pastoral responsibilities in the Archdiocese Wellington as Turanga Maori�, Bishop Patrick said.

Bishop Drennan, Secretary of the NZCBC, said �Deacon Danny together with his wife Maru and whanau have been a tremendous blessing to the Diocese of Palmerston North, particularly since Danny�s ordination to the Diaconate.� He went on to say �Danny�s gift of articulating Catholic Maori thinking and illuminating faith at work among Maori will be of invaluable help in our formation as Bishops and our ability to Shepherd tangata whenua�.�

He and his wife Maru have served together on Te Runanga o te Hahi Katorika ki Aotearoa, and Danny has made a strong contribution to the Maori Translation team for the National Liturgy Office for the further development of liturgical texts in te reo. Prior to working for the Church, Danny, a qualified teacher, has held several significant roles in the field of education at all levels and Maori development. His work and voluntary experiences have centered around being a facilitator, consultant, teacher and writer.

His iwi affiliations are Maniapoto, Kinohaku, Matakore, Ngapuhi, Ngati Whatua, Te Rarawa, Te Aupouri and Ngati Hine.