Wiremu Te Awhitu
Maori Catholic priest
About Wiremu Te Awhitu
Lived 1914 – 1994 (aged 80). Wiremu Te Awhitu was a New Zealand.
Wiremu Hākopa Toa Te Āwhitu (28 July 1914 – 29 July 1994) was the first Māori to be ordained a Roman Catholic priest. He was born at Ōkahukura, north of Taumarunui, in the central North Island, and was of Ngāti Hāuaroa (Ngāti Hāua) and Ngāti Maniapoto descent. After his ordination in 1944 he worked at Ōtaki in 1945 and 1946 and then in Hawke's Bay for 11 years. He suffered a stroke in 1958 and spent several years recuperating. He resumed ministry in Taranaki in 1966. He retired to Ōkahukura in 1989.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Wiremu Te Awhitu's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Wiremu Te Awhitu?
Maori Catholic priest
When was Wiremu Te Awhitu born?
Wiremu Te Awhitu was born on 28 July 1914.
When did Wiremu Te Awhitu die?
Wiremu Te Awhitu died on 29 July 1994.
What nationality was Wiremu Te Awhitu?
Wiremu Te Awhitu was New Zealand.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Wiremu Te Awhitu. https://biography.guide/wiremu-te-awhitu/
MLA: "Wiremu Te Awhitu." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/wiremu-te-awhitu/.
Chicago: "Wiremu Te Awhitu." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/wiremu-te-awhitu/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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