John Rodgers

Who was John Rodgers?

John Hubert Macey Rodgers, CMG, SM was a Missionary bishop. He was Vicar Apostolic of Tonga and Niue Bishop of Tonga then Bishop of Rarotonga, Auxiliary Bishop of Auckland, Superior of the Mission, Funafuti, Tuvalu.

Rodgers was born in Upper Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand on 9 October 1915. After receiving his secondary education at St Patrick's College, Wellington and St Patrick's College, Silverstream, he studied to be a Marist priest Mt St Mary's Seminary, Greenmeadows. He was professed in the Society of Mary in 1936 and was ordained a priest on 15 December 1940. A year later he went to Tonga and was principal of 'Api Fo'ou College. In 1953 he was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Tonga and was ordained bishop in St Mary of the Angels, Wellington. Rodgers attended Sessions 1, 3 and 4 of the Vatican II Council. He became Bishop of Tonga when Tonga was created a diocese in 1966. He resigned the see in 1972 to make way for an indigenous bishop Bishop Patrick Finau. He became Bishop of Rarotonga in 1973. Amongst his achievements in the Cook Islands, he founded Nukutere College in 1975.