Kia Kaha te reo Māori
10 Sep 2019
To celebrate Te Wiki o te reo Māori, from Rāhina 9–Rātapu 15 Mahuru, the Anglican Bishop of Te Waipounamu, Bishop Richard Wallace, was invited to preach in Chapel on Monday morning.
The service began with the whole school singing College waiata “Te Whakapono Ke Te Atua” and, in his sermon, Bishop Richard remembered the joy he felt when the waiata was introduced. “I remember being here when you honoured the whanau that composed your College waiata. It was a wonderful ceremony. I know this kura has people here, teachers and others, who are supportive of te reo and we can all appreciate that beautiful waiata.”
He encouraged the school to, “Reach out and pick up te reo. It is recognised throughout the world as one of the important reo of this country and stands alongside English with equal mana.”
He spoke of the beauty of the language, its poetry and power, and how he believes te reo is the essence, the life force of Māori, a taonga in Aotearoa–New Zealand and a sacred gift from God. “Te reo is important for everybody. I commend this week to you as you learn te reo. Use it as much as you can. It is part of our heritage and one of our most precious resources.”
