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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Wellington Provincial District]
The Archidiocese of Wellington
The Archidiocese of Wellington comprises a portion of the district which was founded in the year 1848, being then known as the Diocese of Wellington. The original diocese included about half of the North and the whole of the Middle or South Island, and the Chatham Islands. Nine provinces were within its boundaries, namely, Wellington, Taranaki, and Hawkes Bay in the North Island, and Canterbury, Westland, Nelson, Marlborough, Otago and Southland in the South Island. On the 26th of November, 1869, the united province of Otago and Southland, together with Stewart Island and the adjoining islands, was separated from the See of Wellington and erected into the Bishopric of Dunedin. On the 10th of May, 1887, the Diocese of Wellington was again divided, the Diocese of Christchurch, including Canterbury, Westland, a small part of Nelson, and the Chatham Islands being established by Papal Brief, and the rest of the district erected into an Archdiocese. This is divided into twenty-four districts as follows:—Wellington (Thorndon), Wellington (Te Aro), Lower Hutt, Petone, Palmerston North, Wanganui, Hawera, Patea, New Plymouth, Napier, Meanee, Hastings, Waipawa, Pahiatua, Masterton, Blenheim, Kaikoura, Nelson, Westport, Reefton, Hiruharama, Otaki, Pakipaki, and Wairoa. There are seventy churches in the Archdiocese, the number of priests regular being thirty-six, and secular thirteen. The religious brothers number twenty-two, and the nuns 159. The Archdiocese boasts one College (St. Patrick's) which is a splendid institution, and is fully described elsewhere, six boarding and high schools, twenty-eight primary schools, four orphanages, and one industrial school for boys. The total number of children returned as receiving Catholic education is about 3709. The population of the Archdiocese belonging to the Church is estimated at 24,000, exclusive of Maoris, of whom page 393 about 1500 are Catholics. The religious orders consist of the Society of Mary, Wellington, numbering thirty-six priests and seven lay brothers; St Mary's Novitiate and House of Studies of the Marist Order, Meanee, including fifteen scholastics and six lay brothers; Brothers of the Little Order of Mary (Marist Brothers), at Wellington, Napier, and Nelson, numbering sixteen religious; Order of Our Lady of Mercy (Sisters of Mercy), head house, Wellington, branch house, Blenheim, number of religious, forty-nine; Order of Our Lady of the Missions, with convents at Napier, Nelson, and New Plymouth, numbering forty-five religious; Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart, with convents at Meanee and Palmerston North, numbering eight, Sisters of Mercy at Reefton, number of religious ten; Sisters of Mercy, Westport, number of religious eight; Sisters of our Lady of Compassion, Hiruharama, number of religious ten.