Illness boosted faith of honoured bishop

Battling a congenital heart condition has strengthened the faith of New Zealand's first Maori Catholic bishop, named in the New Year Honours list as a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Tokoroa's Max Takuira Matthew Mariu, assistant bishop in the Hamilton diocese, said that although he had periods when he felt in good health, his condition had made him stop and think about priorities in his life.

"When you are fit and well you just don't stop to think about your mortality," he said.

Bishop Mariu was ordained a priest at Waihi Marae in 1977.

His award also recognises his work as a teacher at Hato Paora College for Maori boys, various cultural activities and his dedication to improving the welfare of Maori.

Bishop Denis Browne, of the Hamilton diocese, described his colleague as "very humble".

He said Bishop Mariu had a lovely sense of humour and a wonderful rapport with the Maori community.

Bishop Mariu, who comes from the small community of Waihi on the southern shores of Lake Taupo, has a strong Catholic background.

In the last years of his secondary schooling he decided to devote his life to the Church.

"I thought if I at least don't give it a go I won't know, and I need to know," he said.

"I decided I needed to know whether or not God wanted me to be a priest."

Bishop Mariu said what he loved about his job was seeing the faces of parishioners and other people touched by the Church.

"People is what Church is all about."

He believed a big issue for Catholicism today was understanding other cultures. He said the Church needed to better understand Maori culture.

Religion in New Zealand was not as strong as in other countries, Bishop Mariu said.

"We have never really had to stand up for our faith. We have been so blessed and have taken it all for granted."

- NZPA