Patrick Dunn

Patrick James Dunn (born 5 February 1950) is a Catholic prelate. He was the 11th Bishop of Auckland, New Zealand from 1994 to 2021. Early life Dunn was born in London and is the eldest son of the late H. P. ("Pat") Dunn, a prominent Auckland obstetrician. Dunn was considerably influenced by his father and his mother, June Dunn, a former school teacher, in later deciding to become a priest and being appointed a bishop. He was educated at St Michael's School, Remuera, Sacred Heart College, Auckland, from 1961 to 1967, and the University of Auckland in 1968. He studied for the Catholic priesthood under the Jesuits at Holy Name Seminary, Christchurch from 1969 to 1970, and under the Vincentians at Holy Cross College, Mosgiel from 1971 to 1976. Beginning in 1988 he studied for a master's degree in theology from the Melbourne College of Divinity, which resulted in the publication of his study: Priesthood: a re-examination of the Roman Catholic theology of the presbyterate. Priest Dunn was ordained a priest at St Michael's Church in Remuera on 24 April 1976. He then carried out pastoral work with Maori in Mangere East and lived at the Auckland Catholic marae Te Unga Waka Marae in Epsom. Later, he served in the Auckland suburbs of Takapuna, Pakuranga and Northcote. In 1986 and 1987 he was Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Auckland. In 1992 he was appointed pastoral assistant to the Bishop of Auckland Denis Browne. Bishop On 24 July 1994, Dunn was ordained to the episcopate as an auxiliary bishop of Auckland.