Second Bishop of Hamilton Diocese dies after long battle with illness

Bishop Emeritus Denis George Browne, 86, passed away on September 1, 2024, after a long illness. Photo / Auckland Diocese

The second Bishop of the Catholic Diocese in Hamilton (CDH) has been described as “well-known, and respected” by former colleagues.

After battling a long illness, Bishop Emeritus Denis George Browne, 86, who led the diocese from 1994 to 2014 and served as a priest for more than six decades, passed away on September 1.

He was also the Bishop of Rarotonga from 1977 to 1983, the Diocese of Auckland from 1983 to 1994, and then he accepted the appointment to Hamilton following Bishop Gaines’ passing.

In 1990, Browne was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.

In the 2001 Queen’s Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the community.

In 2016, Browne was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Waikato.

Browne was retired and lived in Auckland before he died.

Rotorua’s John Paul College has a building named after him, the ‘Bishop Denis Browne Centre’, and they honoured his passing yesterday by lowering their school and national flag at half-mast.

Principal Justin Harper told Waikato Herald the school was “deeply saddened” by the loss.

Bishop Emeritus Denis George Browne, led the Hamilton diocese from 1994 to 2014 and served as a priest for over six decades. Photo / Hamilton Diocese

“Bishop Denis, a fervent supporter of all things educational, took a keen interest in supporting John Paul College. Bishop Denis was well-known and respected by many college staff.

“We are thinking of his surviving family and keeping them in our thoughts and prayers for this sad time.”

Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Sydney Richard Umbers described Browne as “a good friend to the family”.

Umbers, who was born in New Zealand and studied at the University of Waikato, described Browne’s influence on his life.

“He served at Holy Cross in Papatoetoe and invited the youth group there on a service project and cultural exchange to Raratonga when he was bishop of the Cook Islands,” Umbers said.

“It was very special having the priest who baptised me take part in my episcopal ordination.

“In his last years, unencumbered by the burden of office, Bishop Denis’ deep spirituality shone through in his warm and prayerful hospitality and in his preaching.”

Bishop Richard Laurenson, the current bishop of the CDH, confirmed they knew of Browne’s health decline for a “very long time”, but said it is a part of life.

John Paul College, Rotorua, honoured the passing of Bishop Denis by lowering their school and national flag at half-mast. Photo / Justin Harper

“While we are saddened by his death, we realise that at the end of a long life, this is how it is,” Laurenson said.

“Since we believe in the Promise of the Lord Jesus, that his faithful followers will live with him in eternity, the sadness of parting company is tempered by our hope that one day we will see him again and enjoy his company.”

Laurenson said he knew Browne for his entire 27 years of priesthood, but a bishop and priest friendship is difficult when the bishop is the one who “hires and fires”.

“Bishop Denis Ordained me a Priest in 1995, agreed that I should join the military, consented to my deployments, refused permission to go to Afghanistan, and then sent me overseas to do a Masters Degree in Canon Law.

“I returned and worked alongside him as a Canon lawyer and other things, until he retired in 2015.

“Unfortunately he was in the grips of his illness when I was made a Bishop so I have never had the chance to get to know him as a fellow Bishop. I am sure it would have been a different experience than as a priest to Bishop.”

Laurenson said Browne was a kind man who let people do their thing and try new things.

“He spent a lot of time with his people around the diocese, and had a good memory for names and people and places. Like all of us, he could have his blind spots and favourite things, he loved his golf and horses and loved to entertain at his house.

“As a bishop a fair amount of his productive time was in these venues, where it does not look like work but a good amount of advice and thought and reflection was done.”

Bishop Browne (left) with Bishop Pat Dunn. Photo / Hamilton Diocese

CDH announced Bishop Denis’ passing on social media, saying he is survived by three sisters, and to “please pray for the repose of his soul and for comfort to his remaining siblings”.

“May he rest in eternal peace,” the post read.

“We will continue to share fond memories this week, giving thanks and praise to God for his life and service to the Church. We will post more details for his Requiem in the coming days also.

“Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.”

Celebrating Bishop Browne’s life

A Requiem Mass will be held at the Cathedral of St Patrick and St Joseph on Thursday at 1.30pm.

Another Requiem Mass will be celebrated at the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Grey Street, Hamilton East at 11am on Friday, followed by interment at Ohaupo Catholic Cemetery.

Malisha Kumar is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton. She joined the Waikato Herald in 2023 after working for Radio 1XX in Whakatāne.