Catholic Maori celebrate Easter in Tauranga

Hope Solomon, Te Toi O Nga Rangi Mareikura, Mikayla Jeffery-Smith, Waiwhakaata Tangitu and Te Wairere Te Moana celebrated being Maori and Catholic this weekend. Photo/George Novak

More than 2000 Catholic Maori gathered at Aquinas College this weekend to celebrate their faith over Easter.

The annual Hui Aranga (Easter gathering) was held at Aquinas College with participants from 12 different clubs coming from across the North Island from as far as the Hokianga and Wellington.

Tauranga Moana Hui Aranga management committee spokeswoman Pam Bidois said the event was exciting as it was about people coming together, making new memories while remembering former ones and celebrating Easter.

"It's huge," she said.

The group of people celebrated their faith through kapa haka, song, sporting events among other things.

The annual event had been going since 1946, on a much smaller scale but it had evolved over the years to the event it was today.

People's faith and beliefs in God had driven the group numbers up over the last few years.

"When the movement first started it was just a few families, so the numbers were very small. Then people started hearing about it and liked the koupapa (topic)," Ms Bidois said.

"It's a Maori Catholic movement. We commemorate and celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus through our own unique Maori way."

The celebrations started on Thursday and would finish today with everybody sleeping Maori style at Aquinas College in Pyes Pa.

It was the sixth time the Tauranga branch of the movement had hosted the event over the years.

The Tauranga branch was originally started in Te Puna in 1983 and was the smallest group. It was now the largest group in Hui Aranga movement. It has 160 people.

It was the third time it was being held at Aquinas College.

Ms Bidois said she was looking forward to seeing all her friends that she had grown up with and shared connections with, over the years.

"For spiritual, love, goodwill and Catholic faith," she said.

Aquinas school principal Ray Scott said it was a great thing for the school to take part in.

"It's a very significant celebration for Catholic Maori iwi around the North Island," he said.

Mr Scott said the group made use of the gym and school classrooms were cleared for the accommodation.