Members of the Central Council (Te Kaunihera Matua) of the Māori Catholic Easter Meeting (called the Hui Aranga) met in Taranaki on Friday 12th October.
After the meeting, the rangatahi section took a walk around part of Mt Taranaki.
Part of the purpose of the Easter Hui Aranga is to engage young Māori in embracing who they are as Māori and Catholic.
“After some beautiful kōrero amongst our rangatahi on the Hui Aranga, Miha, Waka Aroha and other kaupapa, our Rangatahi Forum travelled to Parihaka to visit Pā Hēmi Hekiera and were hosted by Te Kāhui Taiohi o Taranaki Iwi at Te Paepae” said Rāwiri Tinirau, chairperson of the Kaunihera Matua of the Hui Aranga (Central Council Chair).
“Later, we enjoyed and experienced blessings of snow and aroha on Maunga Taranaki near Te Rere o Kāpuni.”
“After a visit to our Araukuku whānau celebrating Uncle Boyce’s 80th birthday at Hoani Pāpita, our rangatahi returned to Muru Raupatu Marae with Our Lady, who will grace us with her presence at Miha Māori at Ngā Pekanga.”
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There are about 14 Clubs who come together each Easter.
They cover the area from Whangarei in the North through Tauranga and Hawkes Bay, across to Taranaki, through the Central North Island, down the Whanganui River and ending in Wellington.
Next year the Hui is being hosted by two clubs in Taranaki, Araukuku (Hawera) and Ngā Pekanga (Waitara – Bell Block). It will be based at the TSB Hub with several hundred participants accommodated at local Marae.
The meeting efficiently covered a wide range of matters. These included dietary matters, choir judges, religious quiz, funding, liturgy, and the ‘Taonga’ or awards which carry the mana of various generations of Māori catholic elders.
One faithful participant was Sr Makareta Tawaroa RSJ, who celebrates her 50th jubilee this year.
She is one of the religious quiz promoters. She had prepared booklets for the three sections involved (Mokopuna; Rangatahi; Matua – Midgets; Junior and Senior) which were avidly collected to start swotting up the material for next year!
Given a current shortage of Religious and priests to support the Hui Aranga, a discussion arose about the possibility of promoting Māori Catholic Catechists or permanent deacons.
One agreed point was such people need the backing of wives, whānau and Clubs.
2020 will mark the 75th jubilee of this Easter Hui which initiated at Pukekaraka, Ōtaki in 1944. The hosts will be the Wellington Clubs.
Source
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