Rt Rev. Wiremu Panapa, C.B.E.

Te Ao Hou, 1972, Page 2

Rt Rev. Wiremu Panapa, C.B.E. A much-loved leader, Wiremu Netana Panapa, was laid to rest at St James' Church, Mangere, after services at Mangere Marae, and a packed St Mary's Cathedral, Parnell. The Anglican Bishop of New Zealand, the Most Rev. N. Lesser, paid tribute to a ‘man of the people’ who had received high honours during his life and who had passed to a far greater honour. Hundreds had paid tribute to Bishop Panapa, who had been Bishop of Aotearoa from 1951 until 1968, when he retired because of ill-health. Born at Dargaville, of the Ngati Whatua tribe, he was educated at St Stephen's School, Te Rau Theological College at Gisborne, and St John's College, Auckland. He was ordained a deacon in 1921, a priest in 1923 and served in the Maori Mission at Te Kuiti until 1926 and at Kaikohe until 1932. For ten years he served as Auckland Diocesan Maori Missioner, and became first chaplain to the Maori Battalion in 1940, remaining an Army chaplain until 1944, when he was appointed vicar at Ohinemutu. He became vicar of Taupo in 1948, and from there joined the Bishop of Waipu as Bishop of Aotearoa in 1951. Bishop Panapa worked quietly, establishing and strengthening branches of the Mothers' Union in Maori communities, and encouraging his people to deal themselves with the questions that faced them, though on occasions he would preach very forcefully. He and the late Mrs Panapa had four sons and three daughters.