Young Marists

YMN 2 complete!! 📸🌳🥳🥩 We had an awesome week in beautiful Te Whaiti! Ngā mihi nui to everyone who made it possible (especially Tesi)⭐️

The 2026 Head Students Forum had it all. 🕺🪄🎳😂 Ngā mihi nui to everyone involved and St John’s for being great hosts!! 🤝

Wishing all students and staff a happy start to Term 2! ⭐️

We have a massive term ahead and we can’t wait to get started!! Here’s a snapshot of what’s coming up:
• Social Justice days .stream
• Sacramental Programme
• Staff General Forum 4
• Head Prefects Forum .school.nz
• Young Marist Neighbours 2 @ Te Whaiti

More from HP Orientation ❤️💙💛 Have a great weekend everyone!

Rā ō Waitangi! A day to remember our shared history, reflect on our responsibilities and commit to walking forward together. The Young Marists stand for partnership, protection and participation and for building a future grounded in justice, faith and encouraging rangatira mō āpōpō.

Tōitū te Tiriti!

Last Saturday we had the privilege of celebrating 25 years of the Marist Youth Leader programme! 🙏

It was awesome to have so many people who have contributed to this kaupapa in one room (who travelled from near and far).
Arohanui MYL whānau ❤️

He rā anō ki tua! Fr Mark has a new job, which is both very exciting and very sad for us. 🥹

Fr Mark, AKA Wallsy, AKA Big Cat 🐈 has been an inspiration to tens of thousands of rangatahi, kaiako, and whānau, especially since starting MYL and the Young Marists organisation.

Wallsy is the kind of priest who knows your name and is interested in your story – after all, LEADERSHIP STARTS WITH RELATIONSHIP!! He has a unique ability to challenge people to the point of “I can’t do this,” then smile when they prove themselves wrong. Because of him, countless ‘good’ young people grow up to become ‘great’.

He has always carried out his work with the same humility, courage, joy and compassion that Mary did. We are so blessed to have him as a model of what it means to lead with heart, serve with purpose, and live our faith authentically.

Two things we love most about Big Cat are his brilliant sense of humour and his faultless memory. What we don’t love so much is when they combine and we’re reminded of something embarrassing we did years ago 😂. The jury’s still out on whether his ‘scary bedtime stories’ are funny. Jokes aside though, his brain is super impressive, especially when answering those tricky general knowledge questions on Speights beer bottle lids!

Wallsy’s passion for social justice is unmatched. His fearless honesty and dedication has helped build spaces where te ao Māori thrives, inclusion is unconditional, and young people are met where they are. Never one to shy away from difficult conversations, he has been a megaphone to so many voices that are too often unheard.

He has said many times that leadership is influencing people in a certain direction. Wallsy, thank you for leading us away from the kingdom of niceness, down the road not taken, and towards the Kingdom of God. 🥰