Forty years after teaching religious studies and geography at Campion College, Father Mark Field has returned to Gisborne as parish priest at St Mary’s Star of the Sea.
Father Mark took up the role in February after acting as parish priest in Morrinsville, Te Aroha and Paeroa.
Born in Hamilton, Father Mark joined the religious order of Marist Brothers, who live together in communities and have taken vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
It was through the Marist Brothers that he was appointed to teach at Campion College after undergoing teacher training in Auckland.
“It’s been quite surreal coming back after 40 years and meeting people I knew 40 years ago and haven’t seen since,” he said.