Jean-Baptiste Petit-Jean

From THE FIRST WAVE OF FRENCH MARISTS by Michael O'Meeghan SM, 2008, 15.

Fr JEAN-BAPTISTE PETIT-JEAN, aged 28 (on arrival to New Zealand in Group III on 9 Dec Jun 1839).

He was directed to Whangaroa in January 1840. In mid-1842 he left on a begging visit to Sydney for several months, and returned to Whangaroa with supplies and livestock. By the end of 1842 he was in Auckland, with Maori in the environs as his primary responsibility. He was part of the Marist exodus to Wellington in May 1850. Though he did some travelling and relieving in other places he was based at Thorndon till his death 21 September 1876, aged 65. For 25 years he was the mainstay of the cathedral, parish and became a well-loved personality in the city. He is buried in Mount Street cemetery.

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