Robyn Andrews, a Research Fellow at Massey University and a parishioner at St Mary’s in Palmerston North, brings a unique perspective to her research on contemporary parish life in Aotearoa New Zealand.
She will also be publishing a series of more detailed pieces in Tui Motu.
This report focusses on experiences, practices and views from recent migrants from the Philippines.
There, Catholicism was introduced by the Spanish, who practice the Latin or Roman Rite, as is also traditional for most Catholics in Aotearoa New Zealand (ANZ). In comparison with ANZ’s population, members of the population of the Philippines are very much more likely to identify as Catholic and attend weekly mass (World Values Survey, 2019). This tradition is one they bring with them to ANZ.
I initially asked those I interviewed to tell me about finding a parish to join. This quote is typical in demonstrating their strong drive to locate a church when arriving at a new place:
“How we found [this parish] is you basically have to find a church. As a Filipino and a Catholic, it’s always, it’s been in our way of life to go to church every Sunday. So, it’s the first thing we do wherever we are: find a church. It’s like your Sunday will not be complete without church.”
One major difference they noted in their faith practices in ANZ is the absence of the vibrant feasts, festivals, and fiestas they were used to in the Philippines. They told me they miss these but try to replicate them in whatever ways they can, frequently through lay-led devotions. For example, I was told they recognise the feast day of Señor Santo Niño de Cebú in January.
Their Santo Niño (Infant Jesus) statue circulates around their homes every nine days throughout the year and is then accompanied by a large group to Auckland for the national feast and procession held on the third Sunday of January. This festival is reportedly the biggest annual gathering of Filipinos in ANZ. One interviewee made the point that “the fiesta is not just a celebration – it’s a mix of religious, cultural, and family values coming together”.
Another example of their lay-led practices centres on their devotion to ‘Mama Mary’. Throughout the month of October, they meet as a group every evening to recite the rosary together. Each day their statue of Our Lady is moved from one home to the next, and that determines where the group meets. During my fieldwork phase, the second to last day of October fell on a weekend so they decided to celebrate with special liturgy, inviting other parishioners to join them. The evening began with a hymn in te reo Māori, then proceeded with the recitation of the rosary. Immediately after the rosary recitation, a group of young Cook Island women from the parish were invited to perform a dance. Before the evening ended, a meal of Filipino traditional dishes was shared. They also celebrated with a mass on the last day of October.
In addition, monthly ‘Couples for Christ’ meetings are held. This ministry began in the Philippines and is recognized by the Vatican. Their meetings were described to me as providing an opportunity for worship and formation throughout one’s lifetime.
As well as their lay-led activities and liturgies, they are regular parish mass participants and are increasingly taking roles on committees and in ministries. Their music ministry is particularly strong. Different choirs offer music to churches in the diocese and are very much in demand. They also run youth group meetings for their children and teens.
While English is quite widely spoken in the Philippines, the diocese has introduced monthly masses in Tagalog (which is the national language, although Filipinos are linguistically diverse) as well as assigning a chaplain to this community.
A number of those I spoke to described their fellow Filipino parishioners, particularly those in their rosary and Santo Niño groups, as family:
“Yeah, we miss going to church with my parents and all my relatives because that’s usually where we meet them, our cousins and friends. But, in saying that, this is the reason why the group… We feel like this is our new family now.”
As well as seeking the companionship of fellow Filipinos, they are open to blending their traditional devotions with local ones, and to sharing their practices more broadly. For these Filipinos it seems that along with the institutional Church making space for them, this group is also creating and making space for others. Filipinos, with their strong Catholic identity and sense of community, make their distinctive contribution to the richness of Catholic Parish life in ANZ.
