
Military Ordinariate of New Zealand

The Military Ordinariate of New Zealand is a military ordinariate of the Roman Catholic Church located in Wellington. Immediately subject to the Holy See, it provides pastoral care to Roman Catholics serving in the New Zealand Defence Force and their families.
History.
It was created as a military dictate on 28 October 1976, and elevated to a military ordinariate on 21 July 1986. The first military vicar, Owen Noel Snedden, was also an Auxiliary Bishop of Wellington. His successor, Edward Gaines, was also the Bishop of Hamilton. Since 1995, the post of Military Ordinary has been held by the Archbishops of Wellington.