Étienne (Br Élie-Régis) Marin

From THE FIRST WAVE OF FRENCH MARISTS by Michael O'Meeghan SM, 2008, 12.

Br ELIE-REGIS (Étienne) MARIN, aged 29 (on arrival in New Zealand in Group II on 14 Jun 1839).

A carpenter by trade, he worked initially in the Hokianga, and helped transfer the mission from its temporary site at Papakawau to Purakau. In 1840, with Frs Epalle and Petit-Jean he established the mission at Whangaroa, remaining there four years, for at least two of which he was mostly alone. Then he was sent to Whakatane with Fr Lampila to plant a mission there. He moved to the new Wellington diocese with the main Marist transfer in 1850, and was soon building a flour mill to augment Fr Comte's farm at Otaki. He then spent at least 15 years on the Whanganui River mission, first at Kaiwhaiki and later at Kauaeroa till the latter station was destroyed in the Pai Marire thrust towards Wanganui. When peace retumed to Taranaki in 1869 he supervised the building of a monastery-school at Korn which Fr Rolland hoped would attract young Catholic men discharged from the army. He died there on 24 April 1872, aged 62. The planned town of Koru never developed. The approximate site of its small cemetery is known but absorbed in farmland, and Elie-Regis's grave has never been identified.

Research by Elizabeth Charlton MAW:

Marin F.M.S., Etienne, Br Elie-Régis

Born 20/09/1809 Les Haies, Rhône, France

Died 24/04/1872 Monastery at Koru, Taranaki

• 18351101 entered Hermitage OFM3 doc 496
• 18360325 received habit OFM3 doc 496
• 18361010 temporary profession OFM3 doc 570
• 18371009 perpetual profession OFM3 doc 577

• 18380909 Left for NZ on Le Basque from Bordeaux to Valparaiso
• 18390614 arrived Bay of Islands from Valparaiso on Reine de Paix
• 183907 Hokianga LRO doc 033

• Kororareka building LO doc 065

• 184001-184406? Whangaroa (arrived there around Epiphany; stayed 4 1/2 years) LRO doc 058, 104, 192, 520

• 184402 Kororareka - teacher - Mission report given to captain of Bucephale

• 184402 travelling with Bishop Pompallier? LO doc 046

• 184406-1849 Whakatane LRO doc 502; LO doc 061, 080

• 1844011 Opotiki with Chouvet building work LO doc 050

• built a house in pise LRO doc 520

• 1848 August? Auckland building North Shore LRO doc 1113

• 18500501 Wellington LRO doc 1113

• 185006-1852 Otaki LRO doc 1113; Marist News (FMS) June 2003

• 185210-186705 Wanganui River mission - Kaiwhaiki, Kauaeroa Poupinel doc 705, 933, 1163

• built 2 mills Poupinel doc 406

• 186705-186903 May Wanganui Poupinel doc 1163, 1168, 1302

• 186903 New Plymouth Taranaki Poupinel doc 1373

• 1869 later in year Koru letter Rolland to Poupinel 1873 printed in Annales des missions d'Oceanie Vol 3 pp.205-209

The Brothers of the first wave of Missionaries

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