Recent statistics reveal a steady decline in parishioners within the Catholic Church in Aotearoa, but Deacon Ben Pomare is eager to take action and restore the Catholic values passed down by his tūpuna in Panguru.
He was welcomed home at Motutī Marae over the weekend as he prepares to embark on this new chapter.
“Taku mahi i konei ki te awhi i ngā katekita me ngā Pirihi, koina taku mahi i konei”
“My work here is to support the catechists and priests, that’s my main job here”
Fully aware of the challenges ahead, he is determined to address the growing issue of dwindling church attendance. He points out that fewer whānau are attending church, and he hopes to reverse this trend.
“I ngā whare karakia o te rohe nei e mimiti haere ana ngā iwi ki roto i ngā whare karakia. Te aha ai? Ka hoki aku whakaaro ki te wā i tīmata ai ngā Kōhanga Reo, ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori, ko haere ngā tamariki ki tērā taha”.
“There is a decline in people attending churches of this district. Why? my thoughts go back to the establishment of Kōhanga Reo, Kura Kaupapa Māori, that’s where we’re losing our young ones too” he said
Between 2006 and 2018, the number of Māori identifying as having “no religion” increased from 36.5% to 53.5%. Meanwhile, Māori affiliation with Christianity has dropped from 46.2% to 29.9%.
Hokianga nui ki te kāinga
Ahakoa tana hīkaka ki te hoki atu ki te kāinga, i nui tana mihi atu ki ngā iwi o te waka o Te Arawa. I noho ia ki korā mo ngā tau e rua tekau mā iwa nōnā e hāpai ana i ngā pariha o te takiwa o Te Waiariki
“I te wā i noho au i waenganui ia rātou, nā rātou i tiaki i ahau, nā rātou i tiaki i taku wairua. Nā te mea, te nuinga o te wā ka noho (ki reira) ko ahau anake i roto i ngā iwi o Te Arawa”
“Engari he ara hou tēnei mo māua me taku hoa wahine” ko tana kī.
Hei te hiku o te marama nei timata ai ana mahi ki tana pariha hou o Panguru.
