Stephen Lowe (bishop of Auckland)

Stephen Marmion Lowe (born 3 August 1962) is a New Zealand prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. On 18 December 2021, Pope Francis appointed him as the twelfth Bishop of Auckland, succeeding Bishop Patrick Dunn. From 2015 until his Auckland appointment, he was the Bishop of Hamilton, New Zealand. ^[1][2]

His Excellency, The Most Reverend Stephen Lowe
12th Bishop of Auckland
Lowe in 2024
Archdiocese	Archdiocese of Wellington
Diocese	Roman Catholic Diocese of Auckland
Installed	17 December 2021
Predecessor	Patrick Dunn
Previous post(s)	Bishop of Hamilton (2015-2021)
Orders
Ordination	7 June 1996
Consecration	13 February 2015 by Denis Browne
Personal details
Born	Stephen Marmion Lowe (1962-08-03) 3 August 1962 (age 63) Hokitika, New Zealand
Nationality	New Zealander
Denomination	Roman Catholic Church
Occupation	Roman Catholic bishop
Profession	Cleric
Alma mater	Holy Cross Seminary, Mosgiel, New Zealand Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia
Motto	The Lord is my Shepherd
Signature

Ordination history of Stephen Lowe
History Priestly ordination Date 7 June 1996 Place Christchurch, New Zealand Episcopal consecration Principal consecrator Denis Browne Co-consecrators Barry Jones Charles Drennan Date 13 February 2015 Place Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Hamilton, New Zealand

Styles of Stephen Marmion Lowe
Reference style	The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

Early life and education

Lowe was born in Hokitika, the youngest child of Milly and Frank Lowe, with two older sisters Margaret and Dorothy. He was educated at Hokitika Primary School, then St Mary's Primary School, Hokitika. He undertook his secondary studies at Westland High School.^[3]

Following school he worked for the NZ Forest Service in Hokitika and Christchurch and the NZ Timberlands in Timaru. During this time he became involved in his local parish in Timaru North where he was involved in a young adults group and with youth in the parish. In 1989 he discerned the call to priesthood. He attended Holy Cross College in Mosgiel and then the St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States).^[3]

Ordained ministry

Lowe was ordained a priest on 7 June 1996, in Hokitika for the Diocese of Christchurch and served as the assistant priest in Mairehau, Ashburton and Greymouth parishes before being appointed parish priest of Timaru North and Chaplain of Roncalli College in 2000. During the years 2005–2007 he completed a Licenciate in Spiritual Theology in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University.^[4][5][6][7]

From 2008 until October 2014, Lowe was the director of formation at the National Seminary, Holy Cross College in Ponsonby, Auckland. While based at the seminary in Auckland, he served, for a time, as Parish Priest of Ponsonby.^[4][8]

Episcopal ministry – Hamilton

On 22 November 2014, Lowe was appointed by Pope Francis to replace Denis Browne, the 2nd Bishop of Hamiton, whose resignation was accepted on the same date. His consecration as a bishop took place at the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Hamilton, on 13 February 2015. His principal consecrator was his predecessor, Denis Browne. The principal co-consecrators were Bishop Barry Jones of Christchurch and Bishop Charles Drennan of Palmerston North.^[7][9][10]

In 2021, Lowe was the Vice President and Secretary of the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference, and the bishops’ representative on Te Rūnanga o te Hāhi Katorika ō Aotearoa, the Church’s national Māori advisory group. He was also a member of several other bodies including the National Safeguarding and Professional Standards Committee.^[2]

Bishop of Auckland

Lowe was appointed as the twelfth Bishop of Auckland on 17 December 2021, and installed on 19 February 2022.^[1] Lowe is the Grand Prior of the New Zealand Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.^[11]