People with Catholic links receive King’s Birthday honours

Amelia Bresanello, a staff member at Dunedin’s Trinity Catholic College, received the King’s Service Medal for services to the community. She has volunteered with Edmund Rice Camps Dunedin since 1992, contributing with distinction to residential camps for young people aged nine to 14 who are in need of support.

Ms Bresanello’s leadership spans all aspects of the organisation, including two decades as committee chair, as well as significant contributions to leader development, programme design and the pastoral care of both campers and leaders. Her mentorship of leaders aged 16 to 30 extends beyond the camp setting, guiding many towards vocations centred on the wellbeing of young people and their whānau.

She has cultivated extensive and enduring partnerships with agencies and schools across Otago, including public health nurses, schools and social agencies, enabling targeted support for families. She secures funding to ensure camps remain accessible to young people in need, and coordinates the provision of essential resources, including food, uniforms and digital devices, to support families facing hardship.

In her professional role at Trinity Catholic College, Ms Bresanello supports students with complex needs, guiding them to successfully navigate the education system.

St Joseph’s Parish Grey Lynn parishioner Filomena Loheni was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Pacific fashion. She founded Mena Designs in 2002, a design company which has altered the fashion landscape in Samoa.

Mrs Loheni is a seamstress and established Mena Designs to help alter garments in Samoa, taking koha in exchange for alterations. The company expanded to New Zealand in 2006, becoming a household name among the Pacific community in this country. Mena Designs has been showcased globally including in Fiji, Japan, Canada and the United States. In 2007, Mena International became the first Pacific business invited to showcase at New Zealand Fashion Week.

Mrs Loheni is a mentor to up-and-coming designers, and trains others in the art of tailoring. Through Mena Designs, she has contributed to Miss Samoa New Zealand and Samoa, several sports in Samoa including boxing, rugby league and weightlifting, and contributed to relief for Samoa following the 2009 tsunami. Many other organisations have benefitted from Mena Designs’ support, including PACIFICA Women West Auckland, Habitat for Humanity New Zealand and Aoaga Fa’a Samoa early childhood centre in Auckland.

Mrs Loheni has been a long-serving parish member of St Joseph’s Grey Lynn, where she also provides tailoring for members of the clergy.

FULL STORY

King’s Birthday Honours 2026 – Citations for the King’s Service Medal (Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet)

King’s Birthday Honours 2026 – Citations for Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit (Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet)