John Paul II High School, Greymouth is an integrated

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, co-educational Year 9 to Year 13 (Form 3–7) secondary school located in

Greymouth Greymouth () (Māori: ''Māwhera'') is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is , which accounts for % of the West Coas ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

Ethos

The college is proud of its Catholic, Marist and Mercy heritage, encourages student academic and intellectual success holistically - physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally, and promotes a strong social conscience. The school, which has a strong Catholic focus, is staffed by people who are lay and not members of any religious order.

History

The school was founded in 1980 from the amalgamation of two schools, St Mary’s High School, operated by the

Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute of Catholic women founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. As of 2019, the institute had about 6200 sisters worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations. They a ...

(who arrived in Greymouth in 1882) and Marist Brothers Boys’ School (latterly, the Marist Brothers High School) operated by the

Marist Brothers The Marist Brothers of the Schools, commonly known as simply the Marist Brothers, is an international community of Catholic religious institute of brothers. In 1817, St. Marcellin Champagnat, a Marist priest from France, founded the Marist Brothe ...

(founded in 1892). John Paul II High School was integrated into the State education system by the agreement of the proprietor of the school the ( Catholic Bishop of Christchurch) and the Minister of Education in 1983.

Principals

* Kieran Stone (2016) Kieran Stone, "Reflections of a Southlander on the West Coast", ''School news New Zealand'', 27 January 2016
(Retrieved 5 August 2022) * Angela Sloane ( - 2021) * Renée Hutchinson (2022 - present)

Notable alumni

This is a list of notable former students of John Paul II High School, Greymouth and its antecedent schools, St Mary's High School, Greymouth and Marist Brothers High School, Greymouth. * Paddy Blanchfield (1911 – 1980) - Labour Party member of the

New Zealand Parliament The New Zealand Parliament ( mi, Pāremata Aotearoa) is the unicameral legislature of New Zealand, consisting of the King of New Zealand (King-in-Parliament) and the New Zealand House of Representatives. The King is usually represented by hi ...

for Westland and the West Coast (Marist Brothers). * Mocky Brereton - former professional

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...

footballer; represented

in the

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (''Extreme''). Between 10,000 and ...

and 1972 World Cups and one match in the 1975 World Championship Series (Marist Brothers). * Tony Coll (1949 - 202) - professional

footballer and coach; represented

in three

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...

s (Marist brothers). * Kevin Dixon -

footballer; represented

in the 1968 World Cup (Marist Brothers). * George Duggan (1912–2012) Marist priest, philosopher, seminary professor and writer (Marist Brothers). *

Wayne Dwyer Wayne Patrick Dwyer is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand. Early life Dwyer was originally from the West Coast. He was educated at Marist Brothers High School, Greymouth.rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...

footballer who represented

(Marist Brothers). *

Graham Kennedy Graham Cyril Kennedy AO (15 February 1934 – 25 May 2005) was an Australian entertainer, comedian and variety performer, as well as a personality and star of radio, theatre, television and film. He often performed in the style of vaudevilli ...

(1939 – 2002) ("Ginger") -

footballer and coach; represented

.(Marist Brothers). *

Tony Kokshoorn Anthony Francis Kokshoorn (born 13 February 1955) is a New Zealand politician, publisher, and activist. He served as Grey District Mayor from 2004 to 2019 when he stepped aside. He is a co-owner of the ''Greymouth Evening Star'' and '' Hokit ...

(born 1955) - politician, publisher, and activist; Grey District Mayor from 2004 to 2019 (Marist Brothers). *

Charlie McBride Charles Joseph McBride (10 April 1925 – 3 October 2013) was a New Zealand rugby league player who represented New Zealand. Early life McBride was born in Greymouth. He was educated at the Marist Brothers School, Greymouth. Playing caree ...

(1925 - 2013) -

player; represented

(Marist Brothers). * Bill Meates (1923 – 2003) -

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

player, All Black, soldier and school teacher (Marist Brothers). *

Kevin Meates Kevin Francis Meates (20 February 1930 – 17 April 2022) was a New Zealand rugby union player. A flanker, sometimes playing at lock, Meates represented at a provincial level. He was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, ...

(1930 – 2022) -

player; All Black ((Marist Brothers) *

Ray O'Callaghan Thomas Raymond O'Callaghan (19 January 1925 – 17 December 2004) was a New Zealand rugby union player. A second five-eighth, O'Callaghan represented Wellington at a provincial level. He was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Bla ...

(1925 – 2004) New Zealand

player; All Black (Marist Brothers). *

Patrick O'Farrell Patrick James O'Farrell (17 September 1933 – 25 December 2003) was an historian known for his histories of Roman Catholicism in Australia, Irish history and Irish Australian history. Early life and family O'Farrell was born on 17 Septembe ...

(1933–2003) historian known for his histories of

Roman Catholicism in Australia The Catholic Church in Australia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the spiritual and administrative leadership of the Holy See. From origins as a suppressed, mainly Irish minority in early colonial times, the church has grown ...

Irish history The first evidence of human presence in Ireland dates to around 33,000 years ago, with further findings dating the presence of homo sapiens to around 10,500 to 7,000 BC. The receding of the ice after the Younger Dryas cold phase of the Quatern ...

and

Irish Australian Irish Australians ( ga, Gael-Astrálaigh) are an ethnic group of Australians, Australian citizens of Irish descent, which include immigrants from and descendants whose ancestry originates from the Ireland, island of Ireland. Irish Australians ...

history (Marist Brothers). * Pauline O'Regan (1922–2019) - nun, school teacher, community worker and writer (St Mary's). *

Maureen Pugh Maureen Helena Pugh (born 1958) is a New Zealand politician who is a Member of Parliament for the National Party. She has twice appeared to have won a list seat based on preliminary results, then missed out on a seat when the final results cam ...

(born 1958) – National Party Member of Parliament (St Mary's). *

Brent Stuart Brent Clifford Stuart is a rugby league coach and former player who represented New Zealand. Playing career Stuart was originally from the West Coast. He was educated at Marist Brothers High School, Greymouth. A West Coast and Canterbury re ...

- rugby league and coach and former player who represented

(Marist Brothers). * Neville Tiller (1937 - 2021) - former

footballer; represented

(Marist Brothers). * Ruby Tui (born 1991) – rugby sevens player; member of rugby sevens team won the silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics tournament; member of the Black Ferns team that won the 2021 Rugby World Cup.

Notable staff

* Mary Gertrude Joyce (1884-1964) - Sister Mary Gertrude RSM, Irish

Sister of Mercy A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a family, familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to r ...

nun and musician; taught piano, violin and singing in Greymouth from 1912 to 1949 (St Mary's) - she was the oldest sister of the Irish writer,

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...

References

Sources

* Pat Gallager, ''The Marist Brothers in New Zealand Fiji & Samoa 1876–1976'', New Zealand Marist Brothers' Trust Board, Tuakau, 1976. * ''Greymouth Sisters of Mercy centennial, 1882–1982 : Convent of Mercy Greymouth, Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Convent Brunner, Sacred Heart Convent Cobden, St. Joseph’s Convent Runanga'', Greymouth Evening Star, Greymouth 1982. * ''Reflect, rejoice : Sisters of Mercy celebrate one hundred years in Greymouth'', Mercy Centennial Planning Committee, Greymouth, 1982. * Michael O'Meeghan S.M., ''Held firm by faith : a history of the Catholic Diocese of Christchurch, 1840–1987'', Catholic Diocese of Christchurch, Christchurch, 1988. * Peter Kerridge, ''Marist memories, 100 : a 1992 record of the presence in Greymouth over the last one hundred years of the Marist Brothers, the schools that have developed in that time, and the activities of some of the pupils who have been prepared so well for life in the community, 1892 – 1992'', Marist Brothers Centennial Celebrations Committee, Greymouth, 1992. * Michael King, ''God's farthest outpost : a history of Catholics in New Zealand'', Viking, Auckland 1997. * John Paul II High School School Prospectus 2012 {{DEFAULTSORT:John Paul II High School (Greymouth) Educational institutions established in 1980 Secondary schools in the West Coast, New Zealand Greymouth Catholic secondary schools in New Zealand Educational institutions established in 1882 Educational institutions established in 1892 Marist Brothers schools Sisters of Mercy schools