They died during a skirmish that took place on Moutua Island in the Whanganui river.

The Society of Mary's archivist, Elizabeth Charlton visited the memorial this month and noted that as a result of a recent refurbishment Br Euloge's name can now be clearly seen.

"Older mentions of the memorial noted that Br Euloge's name could only just been seen," she said.

The white marble statue of a weeping woman, a personification of grief, stands in Moutoa Gardens/Pakaitore in the city of Whanganui.

The memorial was erected by the European citizens to commemorate the kupapa who fell in the engagement on Moutoa Island. About 50 Pai Marire also perished.

It is unclear how Br Euloge met his death.

In May 1864, a party of Pai Marire supporters from the upper Whanganui River were heading down the river to attack Whanganui town.

Their path was blocked at Moutoa, by the party of kupapa led by two chiefs from Putiki, near the river mouth. The encounter lasted not much more than 30 minutes.

An account of the engagement, a 100th-anniversary publication, relates that Br Euloge was wounded in the head by a member of the Pai Marire party and died some hours later.

This account was said to be an eyewitness account was told by Arana Tinirau, chief of the Ngatiruaka. and written down by his son Paamu Tinirau.

Other accounts which say Br Euloge was shot whilst standing on the river bank, or tomahawked.

Source

• Supplied: Society of Mary Archives
• Voxy
• NZ History
• Image: Supplied Gerald Charlton

At this site a white cross that marks the place where the first mass celebrated in Tonga took place on 2 July 1842.

Pangaimotu is a small island in the Tongatapu group lying near the capital. It is reachable by a 10-minute boat trip from Nukuʻalofa.

The morning mass was attended by more a thousand Catholics from throughout Tongatapu and 'Eua who travelled to the island by boat.

A spokesperson from the Catholic Church Diocesan Centre, Toutaimana said a plaque was unveiled by Cardinal Mafi to mark the anniversary.

As part of the celebration Cardinal Mafi ordained Lutoviko 'Olie to the priesthood on 29 June, at Pea.

Pea was the first village to receive the Catholic Faith. Father Joseph Chevron of the Society of Mary came to Tongatapu under instruction from Bishop Pompallier, accompanied by Brother Altaic.

Chevron and Altaic were responding to an invitation sent to them at Lakeba in Fiji, through relatives of the chief of Pea, Moeaki.

Lutoviko began his training for the priesthood at Marist College Suva in 2008. In November last year he graduated from Pacific Regional Seminary with a Bachelor in Theology - Magna Cum Laude - accredited by the Urbanianum University, Rome.

Currently he teaches at Apifou College.

Source

• Matangi Tonga
• Oceania Marist Newsletter
• To Live Among the Stars
• Image: Talaki Matangi Tonga

In August 1842 Michel Borjon, a Marist priest, and Jean Villemagne, a Marist Brother (Br Deodat), set out by ship from Auckland to Wellington. They were to found the Catholic Church in Wellington and Michel was to be Wellington's first resident parish priest.

Their vessel was last sighted at Mercury Bay on 12 August 1842, and not seen again until wreckage was picked up on the East Coast of the North Island.

Both Borjon and Villemagne, along with their fellow travellers, were presumed drowned at sea. There were no survivors.

Society of Mary Archivist Ken Scadden unveiled the memorial stone, and representatives of the Society of Mary, the Marist Brothers and the French Embassy unveiled an explanatory panel.

Archbishop of Wellington John Dew then blessed the memorial.

Borjon arrived in New Zealand in 1841 along with other well known Marists including Fathers Antoine Garin, Jean Antoine Seon and Brother Basile (Michel) Monchalin, and a lay Marist, M. Jean Francois Yvert, who is buried in the Mount Street cemetery, and whose grave was re-discovered some three years ago using a Ground Penetrating Radar Survey.

Brother Deodat had arrived in 1842, accompanied by Brothers Justin (Etienne) Perret and Luc Ardant, Frs Forest, Reignier, Grange and Lampila.

Before being sent to Wellington, Brother Deodat had been assigned to the Bay of Islands and Borjon had been in Rotorua.

Source

• www.sm.org.nz
• SM Archives

The book is a series of essays by a number of eminent authors, including Fr Michael O'Meeghan SM, Brother Edward Clisby FSM, Anne Salmond, Henare Tate and Jessie Munro. It presents very human stories of conflict, ambition, struggle, success and failure, shedding new light on Maori-Pakeha relations at the time of Treaty-making at Waitangi and of the founding of the New Zealand we know today

The photograph show the Collector's Edition, hand bound in leather with gold tooling. A limited number of the collector's edition have been printed. These copies are hand bound in leather with gold tooling and hand made harakeke (flax) end papers. This acknowledges the original vision of creating beautiful books in the spirit of the New Zealand's only surviving pioneer printery at Pompallier Mission.

These are stories centered on the enduring French and Catholic influence in Kororareka Russell and the Bay of Islands, specifically the work of Bishop Pompallier and of the Marist missionaries whose South Seas headquarters and printery were then here.

Kate Martin, editor of the book and manager of the NZ Historic Places Trust property Pompallier Mission, said she was delighted to have published more on the work of the first Marist Priests and Brothers in New Zealand. "So little has been known about those pioneer French Catholic missionaries and their real contribution to forming our country", she said.

The timing of this book launch could not be more appropriate as the Russell townsfolk have so much fun re-enacting "The Hell Hole of the Pacific". That sensational reputation has long tended to mask another, more compelling narrative. Illustrating some of the commercial, religious and political rivalry amongst Maori hapu and between Western nations at the time, The French Place in the Bay of Islands highlights that narrative and makes persuasive reading for all.