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

Jubilarians' Mass for four at St Mary's Church in Whanganui

Whanganui Chronicle
13 Sep, 2018 11:00 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

Whanganui's Father Harry Costello was ordained a Catholic priest 60 years ago. Photo / Stuart Munro

Whanganui's Father Harry Costello was ordained a Catholic priest 60 years ago. Photo / Stuart Munro

Father Harry Costello was once called from Whanganui to Taihape in the middle of the night to visit a man who he believed was sick.

When he arrived the man looked healthy.

"I said 'Why did you ring? You look a very fit man.' 'Oh', he said, 'I just wanted a chat."

Father Harry was ordained 60 years ago, at the age of 25. He and three others will have their decades of service celebrated in a Jubilarians' Mass at St Mary's Church in Whanganui at 5pm on September 18.

Harry Costello grew up in County Rosscommon, in Ireland, one of seven children in a farming family. He was very keen on sport and played football for his school, St Jarlath's College.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He trained for the priesthood at All Hallows College for six years. He wasn't sure where he wanted to serve after that, but the Wellington Archdiocese was looking for young priests and his rector thought he should go.

It was a long journey by boat, but the green fields of New Zealand were not so different from Ireland for the farm boy. One of his first parishes was Wairoa.

"I was living in the main street. They were all rubbing noses. It was very Māori, but I liked it. They were lovely," he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In Whanganui Father Harry lived in Castlecliff. He walked on the beach every day and took Mass at St Vincent's until it closed. After that he was Whanganui Hospital's Catholic chaplain for 20 years.

He enjoyed friendships and dinners, visits back to Ireland and hosting Irish relatives in New Zealand.

He's looking forward to the Mass of Thanksgiving. He'll be able to chat to former parishioners, then enjoy a dinner and Irish whisky tasting with colleagues.

Another priest being celebrated on Tuesday is Monsignor John Carde, who grew up in Whanganui and served in Wellington parishes and as an army chaplain. Like Father Harry, he was ordained 60 years ago.

Discover more

Durie Hill identity dies where she wished

07 Sep 08:00 PM

Choirs combine for concert to mark WWI

09 Sep 02:00 AM

Parker visits ring before going bush

07 Sep 07:00 AM
Kahu

No one paid and everyone has a job at St Paul's

10 Sep 04:00 AM

As was Father Earl Crotty, who is well known in Whanganui, and will also be celebrated.

The fourth priest is Father John Roberts, who has served 40 years in Patea and Whanganui, and is the St John Ambulance chaplain.

+ People from across the Wellington Archdiocese will be attending the Mass, and can stay for drinks and nibbles after it. It is being held in Whanganui because all of the jubilarians have close connections here.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

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
Whanganui Chronicle

Work begins on key phase of port project

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

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

Alleged thief struck before 1pm and after the robbery fled the scene in a vehicle.

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
Pop star to speak on new book at Whanganui Literary Fest

Pop star to speak on new book at Whanganui Literary Fest

04 Jul 04:57 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