Ngaire and Bob GRAYSON
We moved to Pio Pio in 1969 from Tangiteroria (Dargaville Parish Northland)
and to St George’s here in Te Kuiti in 1979
There are now four generations of us regularly at Mass today!
We drove weekly to Te Kuiti to pick up nuns and delivered them to Pio Pio school after 3p.m. for Catechism and then drove them home later.
Sister Constance and Sister Josephine are well remembered from that period.
We also have memories of Father Bracken who was mainly at Pio Pio but who also spent time in Te Kuiti, Father Dockerty a friend from Northland who spent six months here at St George’s.
Mill Hill Fathers Aherne and Flannery were welcome visitors who each spent a lot of time with our family during their terms here.
Father Peter Gray is also remembered as a priest we enjoyed playing tennis with
and who rode his bike all around town to make visits to us all.
Father Maurice Drumm, whose brother and family were close friends of one of our aunties in Whangarei, and whose sister was a close friend of my sister, continued those links with our family. Father was also part of our local St John Ambulance where he often drove the ambulance. Friends in St John’s affectionately called him “Dad” after hearing those Catholics among us address him as “Father” He was amused and dubbed them ‘honorary left footers”.
Father Peter Carde in recent years was also an old friend from Wanganui where his sister and I were classmates.
As part of St Mary’s Pio Pio, I produced the monthly newsletter, and since then in St George’s, I have been privileged to enjoy service as a Parish Council member, and especially, being asked by the then priest to become a Eucharistic Minister. During this period a highlight was being chosen along with Bruce Benefield to serve at the Papal Mass in Auckland. Our family, with Bob as the bus driver, traveled with the rest of the parishioners to that blessed event.
I became Bishop’s representative on the St Joseph’s School Board Of Trustees during Integration, and am about to begin a renewed term in this category now that Bob and I have four great grandchildren at the school and at Mass.
We joined the Monday evening Parish Rosary in the church led by Clare Kyle and sometimes her father Ray Perkins, and remained regular attendees until Clare’s departure four years ago when the group disbanded.
I took part in Renew as a group leader with the late Heather Penny providing her home as the venue for the first round of our particular group meetings.
Church Cleaning and Flowers have been part of parish life as has taking baking
to visit parishioners when needed, and Bob as bus driver for school trips.
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