Last Saturday, the Marist Sisters were given a farewell in Waitaruke where they have been teachers and guides for the local people since 1928.
After Mass at 10am they were called on to the marae, nä Pä Henare i arahi.
Several Mercy Sisters came for the occasion, supported by some of the local priests, Marist Fathers and Brothers, and many Whangaroa people.
The Sisters will still play a part in Waitaruke Parish, but they will b e resident in Kaikohe.
In March the Whangaroa Catholic community collected more than 400 signatures on a petition requesting the Marist sisters remain in Waitaruke.
The sisters have been in Waitaruke, a settlement on State Highway 10 north of Kaeo, in the north of New Zealand since 1928.
At that time Sister Gemma Wilson, leader of the Marist Sister in New Zealand, said she had been overwhelmed by the love Whangaroa people had shown for their sisters, and their desire to have the sisters stay was understandable.
“We have fewer and fewer able-bodied sisters, and we want to use them in the best way possible.”