John Rodgers (New Zealand bishop)
Encyclopedia
John Hubert Macey Rodgers, SM
(9 October 1915 – 10 January 1997) was a Missionary bishop. He was Vicar Apostolic of Tonga and Niue
(1953-1966) Bishop of Tonga
(1966-1973) then Bishop of Rarotonga
(1973-1977), Auxiliary Bishop of Auckland
(1977-1985), Superior of the Mission, Funafuti, Tuvalu
(1986).
Rodgers was born in Upper Hutt
, Wellington
, New Zealand
on 9 October 1915. After receiving his secondary education at St Patrick's College, Wellington and St Patrick's College, Silverstream, he studed to be a Marist priest Mt. St Mary's Seminary, Greenmeadows. He was professed in the Society of Mary (Marists)
in 1936 and was ordained a priest on 15 December 1940. A year later he went to Tonga
and was principal of 'Api Fo'ou College. In 1953 he was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Tonga and was ordained bishop in St Mary of the Angels, Wellington. Rodgers attended Sessions 1, 3 and 4 of the Vatican II Council. He became Bishop of Tonga when Tonga was created a diocese in 1966. He resigned the see
in 1972 to make way for an indigenous bishop Bishop Patrick Finau. He became Bishop of Rarotonga
in 1973. Amongst his achievements in the Cook Islands
, he founded Nukutere College
in 1975. After his resignation from that see, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Auckland to assist Bishop John Mackey
. In 1979 he was made a companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
. In 1985 he was appointed superior of the Catholic mission of Funafuti, Tuvalu
and Secretary of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific, but retired to Auckland in 1986 because of ill health.
Bishop John Hubert Macey Rodgers SM, Catholic Hierarchy website (accessed 15 February 2011)
Society of Mary (Marists)
The Society of Mary , is a Roman Catholic religious congregation or order, founded by Father Jean-Claude Colin and a group of other seminarians in France in 1816...
(9 October 1915 – 10 January 1997) was a Missionary bishop. He was Vicar Apostolic of Tonga and Niue
Roman Catholic Diocese of Tonga
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tonga in Tonga is immediately subject to the Holy See. It was erected as the Vicariate Apostolic of Central Oceania in 1842, had subsequent name changes in 1937 and 1957 and was elevated to the Diocese of Tonga in 1966....
(1953-1966) Bishop of Tonga
Roman Catholic Diocese of Tonga
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tonga in Tonga is immediately subject to the Holy See. It was erected as the Vicariate Apostolic of Central Oceania in 1842, had subsequent name changes in 1937 and 1957 and was elevated to the Diocese of Tonga in 1966....
(1966-1973) then Bishop of Rarotonga
Roman Catholic Diocese of Rarotonga
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands is a suffragan diocese of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Suva. It was erected as the Prefecture Apostolic of Cook e Mnihiki in 1922, elevated to the Vicariate Apostolic of Cook Islands in 1948 and elevated as the Diocese of Rarotonga...
(1973-1977), Auxiliary Bishop of Auckland
Roman Catholic Diocese of Auckland
The Latin Rite Catholic Diocese of Auckland is one of the two original dioceses in New Zealand. Although formally a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Wellington, both were erected on 20 June 1848...
(1977-1985), Superior of the Mission, Funafuti, Tuvalu
Roman Catholic Mission Sui Iuris of Funafuti
The Roman Catholic Mission Sui Iuris of Funafuti in Tuvalu is a suffragan of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Samoa-Apia. The Diocese of Tarawa, Nauru and Funafuti was split in 1982 into the Diocese of Tarawa and Nauru and the Mission Sui Iuris of Funafuti. The current administrator is Camille...
(1986).
Rodgers was born in Upper Hutt
Upper Hutt
Upper Hutt is a satellite city of Wellington. It is New Zealand's smallest city by population, the second largest by land area. It is in Greater Wellington.-Geography:Upper Hutt is 30 km north-east of Wellington...
, Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
on 9 October 1915. After receiving his secondary education at St Patrick's College, Wellington and St Patrick's College, Silverstream, he studed to be a Marist priest Mt. St Mary's Seminary, Greenmeadows. He was professed in the Society of Mary (Marists)
Society of Mary (Marists)
The Society of Mary , is a Roman Catholic religious congregation or order, founded by Father Jean-Claude Colin and a group of other seminarians in France in 1816...
in 1936 and was ordained a priest on 15 December 1940. A year later he went to Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
and was principal of 'Api Fo'ou College. In 1953 he was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Tonga and was ordained bishop in St Mary of the Angels, Wellington. Rodgers attended Sessions 1, 3 and 4 of the Vatican II Council. He became Bishop of Tonga when Tonga was created a diocese in 1966. He resigned the see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
in 1972 to make way for an indigenous bishop Bishop Patrick Finau. He became Bishop of Rarotonga
Roman Catholic Diocese of Rarotonga
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands is a suffragan diocese of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Suva. It was erected as the Prefecture Apostolic of Cook e Mnihiki in 1922, elevated to the Vicariate Apostolic of Cook Islands in 1948 and elevated as the Diocese of Rarotonga...
in 1973. Amongst his achievements in the Cook Islands
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
, he founded Nukutere College
Nukutere College
Nukutere College is a Catholic secondary school located in Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook Islands. It is the country’s only Catholic secondary school and has an important educational role across the archipelago of islands...
in 1975. After his resignation from that see, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Auckland to assist Bishop John Mackey
John Mackey (Roman Catholic bishop)
John Mackey is the Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Auckland, New Zealand.Mackey was born in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland. He was ordained a priest on 23 November 1941. On 25 April 1974, he was appointed bishop for the diocese. He was ordained a bishop on 30 June 1974...
. In 1979 he was made a companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
. In 1985 he was appointed superior of the Catholic mission of Funafuti, Tuvalu
Roman Catholic Mission Sui Iuris of Funafuti
The Roman Catholic Mission Sui Iuris of Funafuti in Tuvalu is a suffragan of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Samoa-Apia. The Diocese of Tarawa, Nauru and Funafuti was split in 1982 into the Diocese of Tarawa and Nauru and the Mission Sui Iuris of Funafuti. The current administrator is Camille...
and Secretary of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific, but retired to Auckland in 1986 because of ill health.
Death
He died on 10 January 1997, aged 81. He was buried on 14 January 1997 at Kalevalio Cemetery, Ma'ufanga, Tonga.Bishop John Hubert Macey Rodgers SM, Catholic Hierarchy website (accessed 15 February 2011)