Palmerston North Diocese was formed in 1980 with the decision by New Zealand Catholic Church Hierarchy to have six (6) diocese. The area covered by the Diocese is from New Plymouth on the West Coast, across the Central North Island to Wairoa on the East Coast, down the Coast to Pahiatua and across to Palmerston North. On April 27th 1981 the first Diocesan Council was elected comprising:

President; Mrs Joy Bird

Vice President; Mrs Truus Van Osta

Secretary; Mrs May Joyce

Treasurer; Mrs Ruth Ryan

Council; Mesdames, N. Craven, N. Regan, L. O’Dowd, P. Pervan and D. Greene.

In 1990 there were 22 branches in the diocese. Napier branch is the oldest. The inaugural meeting to form the branch was held on October 13th 1942. Hastings, Palmerston North, Stratford, Hawera, Manaia, Kaponga, Feilding, Marton, Taihape, Wairoa, Taradale, Opunake, Pahiatua and Wanganui all being formed in subsequent years and into the 1950s. In the year 2006 the total branches in the diocese, numbered seven (7); two in the Taranaki Region - New Plymouth and Inglewood; four in the Hawkes Bay Region - Wairoa, Napier, Hastings and Central Hawkes Bay, and one in the Wairarapa region - that of Pahiatua.

Present diocesan officers are as follows:

President; Mrs Margaret O’Connell

Secretary/Treasurer; Mrs Carline West

Mission Officer; Mrs Ellen Oliver

International Officer; Mrs Margaret Treder

Social Concerns Officer; Mrs Naomi Tong

Chaplain: Sister John Bosco, D.O.L.C.

Contact addresses are as follows:

President; P O Box 32 Telephone (06) 837 5523

Mahia 4192 Email: oconnellcappamore@clear.net.nz

Hawkes Bay.

Secretary; 133 Queen Street Telephone (06) 838 8173

Wairoa Email: cjwest@xtra.co.nz

Hawkes Bay.

History from 1990 to 2005

In 1994 the members of the Diocesan Council became increasingly concerned at the drop in membership and saw the need to face the growing problem of branches closing because of an ageing Membership, a lack of younger members joining and the inability of getting people to take office. Sister Cathy Egan from the Pastoral Centre in Palmerston North was invited to address the Council with a view to seeing a way out of the problem. She challenged the Council to hold a Conference with a difference inviting all members of lthe diocese to take part. The Theme set by the National Board for the year 1995 was: “Environment; What can you and I Do?” In line with this and centering on the environment of Catholic Women of Today and the Future, a Conference was held in Palmerston North under the heading “Restructure or Die” and attended by 128 members drawn from all branches in the diocese.

Sister Cathy facilitated the discussions and the eventual outcome was that the League would continue, and that every branch wishing to carry on would do so in the manner best suited to its own environment and its members without neglecting the overall purpose for which the League was established with the motto of Faith and Service.

In November 1996 with three Regions unable to provide a Representative the members of the Diocesan Council made the decision to disband. At the 1997 Conference the new structure of CWL in the diocese was set up with Kath deLatour as President, Sheila Wealleans as Secretary and Tess Illston as Treasurer. Marion O’Neill agreed to carry on as International officer and Margaret O’Connell as Mission Officer. Palmerston North CWL Diocese continued to be represented at National Board level through Kath and in turn branches were kept informed of all relative matters via fax, and conference calls.

After the 1997 Conference branches went back to their parishes and after much deliberation several made the decision to disband. The result was that by the time of the 1998 conference the number of branches had fallen to 10. Many of these branches still continue within their parishes as a Catholic Women’s Social Group carrying out many of the tasks previously done whilst a League branch.