Paul Donoghue


Paul Donoghue SM is the sixth Catholic Bishop of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. He was appointed bishop by Pope Benedict XVI on 11 April 2011.

Early life

Donoghue was born in Te Puke. He received his secondary education at St Patrick's College, Silverstream. After studies at Mount St Mary's Seminary, Greenmeadows and a period as a Marist Brother, he was professed as a member of the Society of Mary on 7 January 1969 and ordained a priest by Bishop John Mackey at Frankton on 29 June 1975.

Career

After ordination, Donoghue taught for some time at St Bede's College, Christchurch, before joining the Marist Oceania province. When he was appointed as Bishop of Rarotonga he was the Provincial Superior of the Oceania province. Prior to being provincial he taught at Chanel College, Moamoa, Samoa, and was Marist novice master at the Marist Training Centre, Tutu, Taveuni Island, Fiji. He was director of the St Martin de Porres Centre, Lololima, Malekula Island, Vanuatu and regional superior, Vanuatu. He returned to Tutu and was formator of novices there. From 2000 to 2006 he participated in the Marist renewal programme in Ireland.

Episcopacy

Donoghue was consecrated a bishop on 16 July 2011 with his immediate predecessor, Bishop Stuart France O’Connell, S.M as principal consecrator. The principal co-consecrators were Archbishop Charles Daniel Balvo and Bishop Denis George Browne of Hamilton.