Commemoration of Suzanne Aubert centenary begins

Rau Tau Pūaroha – Celebrate Compassion 2026 was launched at St Mary’s of the Angels in Wellington on February 6. Msgr Gerard Burns noted in his homily that Meri Hōhepa Suzanne Aubert once said: “Never forget our order began in a Māori village.”

There will be various activities throughout the year to commemorate the centenary of Meri Hōhepa Suzanne Aubert’s death on October 1, 1926.

Last month, a centennial candle was blessed by Auckland Bishop Steve Lowe during the annual Tōtara Point Mass in Hokianga, Northland – a ceremony that commemorates the first Catholic Mass celebrated on Aotearoa New Zealand soil in 1838 by Bishop Jean Baptiste Pompallier.

At St Mary of the Angels on February 6, congregational leader Sr Margaret Anne Mills carried the candle with the help of Compassion Whānau members Anne Sidwell and Alice Hoerara-Hunt. A koromiko flower was placed next to the candle, symbolising Meri Hōhepa Suzanne Aubert’s rongoā Māori practices. She had a deep love for tangata whenua, tīkanga, and te reo Māori.

Her legacy of compassion has supported the most vulnerable members of the community, and it is this legacy that is celebrated throughout 2026.

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Centennial Candle to honour Meri Hōhepa Suzanne Aubert (Sisters of Compassion)

The Story of Suzanne Aubert (Sisters of Compassion)

Facebook (Sisters of Compassion)