Yesterday, 26 April 2025, over 80 people gathered at St Dominic’s Parish Blockhouse Bay for the launch and blessing of the book Preachers, Pastors, Prophets – The Dominican Friars of Aotearoa New Zealand by Susannah Grant.

It’s a wonderful book sharing the story of the Dominican Family and those they ministered with throughout the years.  It’s like reading a family journal with interesting stories and photos of people you know.   Susan Healy talked of how she met the friars at Newman Hall in the 1960s.  Some of the key words she shared when thinking of the friars are “vibrant”, “unpretentious scholarship” and “community”.  Peter Murnane spoke of the Dominican history and their first steps in this whenua.  Kev Toomey shared snippets of ministry and mahi of the Dominican friars.

Susannah Grant is a gifted and professional historian who brings Dominican life alive through the pages of this book.

We give thanks for the communities of Gospel faith and action that the Dominican friars created in Dunedin, Blockhouse Bay, Newton and the initiatives that they started such as Tui Motu and Aaiotanga.

This book will be available in bookstores from this week or you can purchase online for NZ$60 here.