Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Church founder celebrated

Laurel Stowell
By Laurel Stowell
Reporter·Whanganui Chronicle·
14 Jan, 2016 08:05 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Ratana faithful file into their temple for the January 25 service.

Ratana faithful file into their temple for the January 25 service.

The Ratana Church is gearing up for its biggest annual event in a few days - and the focus is on youth.

"The youth are our future so we have to keep them interested and you know how difficult it is to keep youth interested," Ratana Church executive committee chairman Waka Paama said.

The annual event celebrates the birthday of church founder Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana. He was born on January 25, 1873.

On January 25 - a Monday this year - numbers at the Ratana settlement 25km from Whanganui could swell to as many at 15,000. Every year seven uniformed bands lead the way to a noon service in the Ratana temple. Afterwards there is a great hakari (feast) in the marae dining room.

This year people are expected to start arriving on the Friday, and some could stay as long as a week. Many Ratana faithful take their annual holidays in January in order to come to the celebrations, Mr Paama said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He's been involved for decades, and said as far as the church was concerned they followed a set format.

Activity consists of church workshops and sport for the young people and music on the Ratana stage. The programme is flexible, depending on who comes.

Sports include volleyball, table tennis, netball and sevens rugby, with competition between the seven Ratana parishes.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The Maori King, Tuheitia Paki, and Tuwharetoa paramont chief Sir Tumu Te Heuheu will be welcomed on January 23.

On January 24 at 2pm, New Zealand politicians are welcomed on to the marae in a single body.

In the past the political parties have come on separately, each needing a separate welcome.

"Last year they all arrived together by accident.

Discover more

New venture launched

14 Jan 12:30 AM

Riah wastes no time in getting all creative

14 Jan 01:00 AM

Bio blitz takes stock of park insect life

14 Jan 02:00 AM

Sea not protected

14 Jan 09:30 PM

"This year we managed to arrange it," Mr Paama said.

The marae and settlement are being prepared for the occasion, with people out washing windows and tending graves and gardens.

Many visitors bring tents and caravans. Others sleep in the marae's three big sleeping rooms.

Each can hold 300-400 people.

Some campers cook for themselves. Others are served breakfast and dinner in the marae dining room, where young people are encouraged to help out.

"We have designated cooks. They are busy people. Our eating house opens and goes for one week, so it gets quite stressful."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

No meal is served in the middle of the day. Instead visitors can buy food at canteens in the village, and their payments contribute to funding future celebrations.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

'He's just scared of me': Teen's Māori wards challenge to PM

06 Jul 03:55 AM
Whanganui Chronicle

Brazen hammer heist: Police hunt jewel thief, staff distressed after store raid

05 Jul 05:11 AM
Whanganui Chronicle

Kāinga Ora needs to be ‘responsive to need’, says minister

04 Jul 06:00 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

'He's just scared of me': Teen's Māori wards challenge to PM

'He's just scared of me': Teen's Māori wards challenge to PM

06 Jul 03:55 AM

Chris Hipkins agreed to meet him in Wellington after the Prime Minister said 'no'.

Brazen hammer heist: Police hunt jewel thief, staff distressed after store raid

Brazen hammer heist: Police hunt jewel thief, staff distressed after store raid

05 Jul 05:11 AM
Kāinga Ora needs to be ‘responsive to need’, says minister

Kāinga Ora needs to be ‘responsive to need’, says minister

04 Jul 06:00 PM
Work begins on key phase of port project

Work begins on key phase of port project

04 Jul 06:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP