In the mid-1830's, the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (Picpus Fathers) were entrusted with responsibility for missions in eastern Oceania, from the Cook Islands across to South America. At the same time the Society of Mary was missioned to western Oceania, from Samoa across the Pacific to New Zealand. The first group of Marist missionaries, led by Bishop Pompallier, left Le Havre in France on Christmas Eve, 1836. They journeyed to the Pacific by way of South America, staying with the Picpus Fathers at their house in Valparaiso.

One hundred and sixty-two years later, the Picpus and the Marist Congregations met again in Rarotonga. The Congregation of the Sacred Hearts was no longer able to provide new personnel to replace the four members of the Congregation still working in the Cook Islands, where their predecessors had arrived in 1894, so a request was made to the NZ Province by Bishop Stuart O'Connell, S.M. for a group of Marists to work in the Cook Islands.

The New Zealand Marist administration saw ministry in the Cook Islands as meeting the criteria laid down for new missions, and in 1999 three Marists from NZ arrived in Rarotonga. After a time of appraisal, a five-year contract was signed between the Diocese of Rarotonga and the NZ Province of the Society of Mary. The contract will be reviewed in 2003 and may be renewed for another five years.

Our primary role is also to support the continued development of a self sustaining Church and the Marist community was increased to four in 2001. Our work includes

• assisting with a major project of the diocese - the rebuilding of St Joseph's primary school on Rarotonga
• ministry to youth and to Catholic schools in Rarotonga
• faith education of adults
• establishing appropriate administrative systems in the diocesan office
• pastoral responsibility for four parishes in the outer islands
• ministering in two of the four parishes in Rarotonga
• hospital chaplaincy.

While the diocese provides formation for the catechists and their wives and the Marists assist in this work, there is only one Cook Island Maori priest. Another role we therefore have is to encourage priestly and religious vocations.

There are many challenges in working in the Cook Islands the prime one is its vast geography. The Cooks comprise 15 islands spread over 850,000 square miles (2.2 million square kilometres) of ocean right in the middle of the South Pacific, and although the Catholic population is small the distance between many parishes is very great making travel to some areas expensive and time consuming. Other challenges include working in a very different culture and sharing the tropical climate with Scorpions and lots of different insects. Most of us have had a bout of Dengue Fever. Despite the postcards, it is not all beaches and cocktails!