Celebration marks centenary of Suzanne Aubert’s death

By CathNews New Zealand

October 6th, 2026

Archbishop Paul Martin SM preaches at the national Mass marking 100 years since the death of Venerable Suzanne Aubert (Compassion image)

The enduring legacy of Venerable Meri Hōhepa Suzanne Aubert was celebrated at a full St Mary of the Angels in Wellington on Sunday – almost 100 years to the day since crowds packed that city’s streets to farewell her.

New Zealand’s bishops joined the Sisters of Compassion and members of the wider community for the Mass as part of Rau Tau Pūaroha | Celebrate Compassion 2026, a year-long programme marking the centenary of Mother Aubert’s death.

In his homily, Wellington Archbishop Paul Martin SM said the impact of the French-born religious sister who came to serve the people of New Zealand extends beyond the Church.

“Meri Hōhepa belongs to the story of the Church in this land and, increasingly, to the story of Aotearoa New Zealand itself,” he said.

Reflecting on her life of service, Archbishop Martin said Mother Aubert understood that “faith wasn’t something to be kept within the walls of a church” but was shown in the way people treat those who are poor, vulnerable and on the margins.

He highlighted her close relationship with Māori communities, noting that she learned te reo Māori, lived among Māori and built relationships of trust and friendship.

“Her life reminds us that Christian mission is not simply about bringing something to people. It is also about receiving, listening, learning, becoming a neighbour, and recognising the presence of God already at work in another culture and among another people,” he said.

Archbishop Martin also paid tribute to the Sisters of Compassion for carrying forward Aubert’s charism for more than 130 years.

Sr Margaret Anne Mills, the congregational leader of the Sisters of Compassion, noted that Meri Hōhepa’s “large-hearted neighbourliness and upholding of the dignity of all people” is part of her inspiring legacy that lives with people now and in the future.

Archbishop Martin said Suzanne Aubert’s example remains highly relevant in a society where many people still experience poverty, loneliness, illness and exclusion.

“The best way to honour Suzanne Aubert is not simply to remember her; it is to continue what she began,” he said.

“May the next chapter of her story be written not only in books and commemorations, but in the lives of people who choose to live the same Gospel of compassion.”

The Mass in Wellington marked the conclusion of a four-day haerenga tapu (pilgrimage), which included Masses, prayers and recollections of Suzanne Aubert’s impact in Māhia, Wairoa and Pakipaki.

The pilgrimage group arrived at the Home of Compassion at Island Bay for a pōwhiri on Sunday morning before the national centennial Mass at St Mary of the Angels.

FULL STORY

Homily for National Centennial Mass (Archbishop Paul Martin)