Archbishop Sir David Moxon and Emeritus Bishop Denis Browne will be recognised for their outstanding leadership and contributions to the Waikato community at the University's graduation ceremony in April.

They will both receive honorary doctorates.

Sir David is currently the Archbishop of Canterbury's Representative to the Holy See and director of the Anglican Centre in Rome.

"I'm honoured to be receiving the honorary doctorate alongside Bishop Denis.

We have been colleagues and friends for a long time in a common cause - the common good and the spiritual health of the wider community," says Sir David.

Bishop Denis retired in 2014 from a 50-year career as a priest and bishop.

He says his honorary doctorate is a reflection of the work that's gone into aligning church services with university life, "and receiving this honour alongside my good friend, Sir David, is an added bonus."

University of Waikato Vice-Chancellor Professor Neil Quigley says their honour is well-deserved.

"Both David and Denis have worked tirelessly in pursuit of church and community wellness, in the Waikato region in particular, so it's fitting they both receive Honorary Doctorates together."

Sir David and Emeritus Bishop Denis will receive their Honorary Doctorates on 21 April at the afternoon graduation ceremony.

Source

• waikato.ac.nz
• Image: waikato.ac.nz

He has been a priest for 52 years.

"Looking back over nearly 38 years as a Bishop in three different Dioceses, I am grateful for the wonderful support and loyalty that I have received from Clergy, Religious and the Laity," said Bishop Browne.

When he was announcing the appointment of Stephen Lowe, Browne's successor, Archbishop John Dew said "I would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to Bishop Denis Browne for his dedicated service as Bishop of Hamilton for the last 20 years, and his valuable contribution to the Church in New Zealand since his ordination to the priesthood 52 years ago."

"Bishop Denis has always approached his vocation as Bishop in a prayerful and faithful way. He always puts people first, and their needs are always at the forefront of his decisions," said Archbishop Dew.

Denis Browne was ordained in Auckland on 30 June 1962 by Archbishop James Liston.

After ordination, he worked in Gisborne where he served from 1963 until 1968.

He was at Papatoetoe 1968-1971 and at Remuera 1972- 1975.

He served in Tonga (Nukualofa, Houma,`Eva) in the period 1975-1977.

On the 29th June, 1977 he was ordained a Bishop in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland.

He served as Bishop of the Cook Islands and Niue until 1983.

He became the tenth Bishop of Auckland on 24 August 1983 and served in that post until 1994 when he was translated to Hamilton as its second Bishop.

He was:

• President, New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference 2003 t0 2009,
• President of the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania 2002 - 2006
• NZCBC representative on the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL)
• Secretary of ICEL 2005 - 2011
• Member of the NZCBC Commission for the Church

Bishop Browne was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2001.

When he celebrated his 75th birthday in 2012, Bishop Browne reckoned he slipped into retirement mode and it was reported to be having a good effect, because a few days later he played his best game of golf in a while.

Source

• Wikipedia
• Supplied: Catholic Communications
• The Waikato Times
• Image Stuff.co.nz

He is at present Director of formation at the National Seminary, Holy Cross College.

Hearing of the announcement Bishop Browne said, "I am delighted that Hamilton will receive a Bishop with such pastoral sensitivities and expertise both of which Bishop-Elect Stephen has."

"His pastoral experience in parishes and his brilliant term as director of formation will all serve him well and he will be warmly welcomed to Hamilton Diocese."

Lowe said "It has been a humbling and overwhelming experience to have been called to be the third Bishop of Hamilton."

"I look forward now to meeting the people, religious, deacons and priests of Hamilton Diocese and to work with and serve them as their bishop."

"As I do so I am conscious of Bishop Denis Browne's faithful service as bishop and I look forward to learning from him and the Diocesan family as I take up my new ministry."

Lowe was born 1962 in Hokitika, in the Diocese of Christchurch.

After his secondary studies at Westland High School in Hokitika, he worked for the New Zealand Forest Service in Hokitika and Christchurch and NZ Timberlands in Timaru.

During this time he became involved in his local parish in Timaru North where he was involved in a young adults group and with youth in the parish.

In 1990 he began studying for the priesthood at Holy Cross Seminary College in Mosgiel and then the St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, United States.

He was ordained a priest June 7, 1996 for the Diocese of Christchurch.

He served as the assistant priest in Mairehau, Ashburton and Greymouth parishes before being appointed parish priest of Timaru North.

In 2005, he pursued studies in spirituality in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University.

After completing a Licence in Spiritual Theology he was appointed to Holy Cross Seminary in 2008.

"We are grateful that Bishop-Elect Stephen Lowe has accepted the call to this special ministry, and on behalf of all the New Zealand Bishops I express our support and welcome as he becomes part of our New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference." said Archbishop John Dew, President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference.

"We have no doubt that he will bring a valuable perspective to our discussions."

The Diocese of Hamilton in New Zealand (1980), suffragan of the Archdiocese of Wellington, has an area of 49,700 square kilometers and a population of 678,000 inhabitants, of whom 96,500 are Catholics.

There are 36 parishes, served by 49 priests (32 diocesan and 17 religious), 23 religious brothers, 50 nuns and 6 seminarians.

Source

• Vatican Radio
• Supplied: Catholic Communications
• Image: Holy Cross Seminary

The NZ Herald reports Bishop Browne is calling on the Government to allow different policy options for food programmes in schools to be examined and debated.

"The debate about child hunger in New Zealand needs more than dismissive answers which categorise hungry children in struggling households solely as their parents' responsibility," Bishop Browne said.

Browne says New Zealand has the resources to ensure that no one has to go hungry and is calling on the Government to allow broder discussion on the matter by allowing the private member's Education (Food in Schools) Amendment Bill to go a parliamentary Select Committee.

"What we lack is the compassion and the political will to make that happen", said Browne.

Browne believes formal state policy options can be found to combine the goodwill and contribution of the community and business.

Citing examples of Catholic groups throughout the country responding practically to the hunger in their communities, Browne says the Church is pulling its weight in reaching out in love, concern and understanding, however it's not enough.

Saying that St Vincent de Paul is struggling to respond to the increased demand for food, Browne says the number of hungry people seeing food at night in my diocese (Hamilton) has doubled in the past two months.

Sources

• NZ Herald
• Image: Stuff

Before being appointed as the second bishop of Hamilton, in 1994, Bishop Denis was the bishop of Rarotonga from 1977 to 1983, and bishop of Auckland from 1983 to 1994.

Bishops Charles Drennan, Robin Leamy and Len Boyle were among the concelebrants at the mass in the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary which was attended by large numbers of family members, friends and priests and deacons from the Hamilton and Auckland dioceses and from as far away as Australia.

Bishop Denis said, "I was humbled and delighted to share the celebration with so many people who've been instrumental in my vocation thus far, in particular my siblings who've supported me from the beginning."

"It was very special to be able to renew the promises I made at my ordination and for these special people in my life to be witnesses to these."

Of the the six children in the Browne family, the oldest child, Mary, married; three, Michael, Denis and Neville, became priests; two, Margaret and Agnes, became Sisters of Mercy.

Bishop Denis said, "I was ordained a priest the same year as the opening of the Second Vatican Council, since that time I've seen and experienced great change in society and in our Church. What has remained constant has been the love and support of parishes I've worked in and places I've travelled."

In his words of congratulations, personal friend and adviser to the bishop, Sir Peter Trapski, conveyed the gratitude of the Hamilton diocese.

"On behalf of the Hamilton diocese I wish to express our gratitude for your care and compassion over the past 17 years you've been among us. The role of bishop is at times a difficult one, particularly in our modern age where respect is not always a given, but you've shown fortitude and dedication to your vocation and the people that you serve and that is felt and sincerely appreciated," said Sir Peter.

Bishop Denis also received a letter of congratulations from the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI for the double anniversaries.

Source

• NZCBC
• Image: NZCBC