FR. DAVID DOWLING
(Rector)  
I am a priest of the Archdiocese of Wellington and a proud supporter of the Hurricanes rugby team. I have been in parish ministry since my ordination in 2007. Before entering Holy Cross Seminary in 2001 I was a customs officer in Wellington for 18 years. It is a wonderful privilege to lead the Seminary and contribute to the formation of the seminarians. I enjoy walking and cycling in the parks and tracks around Auckland.

FR JOHN DUNN
(Pastoral Formator)

FR. MICHAEL SMITH, SJ
(Spiritual Formator)
Tena koutou katoa. My name is Fr. Michael Smith SJ. I am a Jesuit priest, born and raised in Eltham, Taranaki. I have been a priest for 40 years and for most of that time I have been involved in the Ignatian spirituality apostolate — both giving the Spiritual Exercises and forming others to be spiritual directors in the Ignatian tradition. I worked for three years as the International Education Officer for Jesuit Refugee Service in Rome. I am currently the Ignatian Coordinator at St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College in Drury, South Auckland where I am engaged in staff and parent formation. I am also the spiritual director at Holy Cross Seminary two days a week. It is my privilege to encourage and support the seminarians as they deepen their intimacy with Christ.

FR THANH TRAN                                  (Human Formator)                          Tēnā koutou katoa. My name is Father Thanh Tran. I was born and raised in a Catholic village located in the central part of Vietnam. After completing high school, I moved to Saigon for university and later came to New Zealand to pursue the Priesthood. Upon my arrival in this beautiful country, I spent nearly one and a half years learning English and familiarising myself with the culture in Christchurch before relocating to Auckland to study Philosophy and Theology at Holy Cross Seminary and Good Shepherd College. Following my Ordination, I returned to my incardinated Diocese of Christchurch to serve as a Priest. In 2024, I returned to Holy Cross Seminary in Auckland to serve as a Human Formator. This opportunity has been one of the many wonderful surprises the Lord has bestowed upon me. I feel privileged and deeply blessed to be here. Please keep the Seminary staff and Seminarians in your prayers. Please also pray for more vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life, especially here in New Zealand. Thank you very much, and may God bless you all.

FR RONALD BENNETT                        (Senior Priest in Residence)                  Tena Koutou Katoa. I have been a priest for 52 years, working in the Wellington and Palmerston Dioceses and have enjoyed every moment of that time.  I have always worked in parish ministry, but alongside that I have been involved in hospital, prison, and military chaplaincy, as well as on the North Taranaki Māori apostolate. I hope to share the blessings I have received with these future priests.   

DR JOHN EVANGELISTA                   (Dean of Studies)                                  I am John Evangelista, a medical doctor by education and have specialised in healthcare management. I earned my degree in Theology from the Roman College of the Holy Cross in Rome, as well as further theological studies at the University of Navarre in Spain and the Augustine Institute in the US.  I also have an MBA from the Philippines and post-graduate studies in counselling from the University of Auckland. I come from a family of seven. I thank my parents who have been role models of lay people striving to live their Catholic faith by immersing themselves in various apostolic endeavours.  I am happily married to Tina and have two adult children, Felicia and Mico. I am the Director of the Catholic Theological College and I lecture in Pastoral Theology.

ROCHELLE PINTO
(Office Manager)
I joined Holy Cross Seminary in 2022. My background is in Business and Event Management. And, having experience volunteering with Youth Ministry and Parish Ministry in the past, I am thankful for the opportunity to now serve the church in my role as Office Manager at the seminary.

ANNA DEMEER (Chef) Originally from the Philippines, for the last 27 years Anna has lived happily in New Zealand. Her passions are all about food and cooking and she always puts 100% into everything she does. We are blessed to have Anna with us at Holy Cross Seminary.

KINH NGUYEN                                     My name's Kinh and I am from  Vietnam. I am studying for the Archdiocese of Wellington. I come from a  big Catholic family in Vietnam.

Kinh was ordained a deacon on 06 September 2024 and is preparing for priestly ordination in the Archdiocese of Wellington.

LINH CAO
 Hi everyone. My name is Linh Cao. I originally come from Vietnam and I have been living in NZ for around 2 years. I am a seminarian training for the Diocese of Christchurch. Please remember me in your prayers. Thank you. 

EMILIO CAPIN
 Kia ora! Hi, my name is Emilio Capin Jr., born and raised in the north part in Mindanao Philippines. I am a seminarian of the Archdiocese of Wellington. I finished my bachelor degree in Nursing in 2013 and worked in a government hospital as an emergency nurse before entering the seminary. Please keep us all in your prayers.

RYAN SY
 Hi, my name is Ryan Sy, a seminarian for Auckland Diocese. I am originally from Cebu, Philippines. I completed Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Cebu Doctors' University and Master in Education at Cebu Technological University. I was a teacher before arriving in New Zealand in 2015 to study Culinary and then, worked as a Chef in Auckland before entering the seminary.

GERSON BADAYOS
 Mabuhay! I am Gerson Badayos. I entered Holy Cross Seminary in 2021, as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Wellington. I am originally from Davao, Philippines. I am a Registered Guidance Counselor, Psychometrician, and a Licensed Teacher in my home country.  Please include us all in your prayers.

TUNG TRAN
 Hello everyone, I am Tung (or Ignatius). I come from Vietnam and I am now a seminarian for the Diocese of Christchurch. I love art, music and history. Additionally, I am a big fan of Theology. Welcome to Holy Cross Seminary and please pray for our Staff and Seminarians.

MINEVA BOB FE’AO
 Kia ora, My name is Mineva Bob Fe'ao. I am a Kiwi and I was born and raised in Mangere East, Auckland. My family are originally from Tonga. I’ve worked in manufacturing, hospitality, and youth ministry. I enjoy going out for walks and spending time with family and friends. Please remember us in your prayers.

TANG JOSEPH PHAN
 Hi everyone! My name is Tang Joseph. I come from Vietnam. There are 7 of us in my family. They are my parents, 2 older brothers and 2 sisters. I am here for Dunedin Diocese. I am a second-year student at the seminary. Please pray for me as I undertake this journey and walk with Jesus. God bless you.

DUNG MANH PHAN
 Kia ora! I am Dung Phan from Vietnam originally. I am a seminarian for the Diocese of Palmerston North and studying at the Catholic Theological College in Auckland. 
I am happy to join Holy Cross Seminary for priestly formation and training.  I like to socialize with new people.  Thank you for your prayerful support.  God bless you.

PETER JANG                                         Hi my name is Peter, a South Korean by ethnicity but a Kiwi at heart. I came to NZ in 2001 and have lived here ever since. It's been a real pleasure these past years (praise God!) and I am delighted to have been called to discern this special vocation. I have moments when I can be a little shy, so please come and say hello and I will be very thankful. My hobbies at the moment are playing table tennis and reading books (favorite novel is the LOTR series). I'm looking forward to this year and the many years to come. And I hope to see you as well. God bless.

JOSHUA BRODIE                                   Hi Everyone, my name is Joshua Brodie from the Auckland Diocese. I was born and raised in Henderson, West Auckland. I am blessed by Jesus and Mary to be here and I am excited to pray, study and work towards what they have planned for me. Please keep us in your prayers!

TUONG DUONG                                   Kia ora. My name is Tuong, originally from Vietnam. I am a seminarian for the Diocese of Christchurch. It is wonderful to be a part of the Holy Cross Seminary. Pray for me. May God bless you all.

NHAT CAO                                           My name is Nhat and I’m originally from Vietnam. I belong to Hamilton Diocese which is not far away from Auckland city. It is so lovely to be a part of Holy Cross Seminary, that I have longed for, for a long time. Thank you and please continue to pray for all of the Seminarians on our journey ahead. May God bless you.

MATTHEW CLARK                                 Kia ora, my name is Matthew and I am seminarian for the Diocese of Christchurch. I have spent the last few years working as a teacher. I’m a big sports fan! Please pray for all the seminarians, staff, and I as we continue on this journey together.

JOSEPH MARR                                  Kia ora. Ko Joseph Marr toku ingoa no Matata ahau. My name is Joseph Marr, I am from Matata, a small town in the Bay of Plenty. After working in IT for several years I finally followed my calling and joined Holy Cross seminary for the Diocese of Auckland. May God bless you all, thank you.

KHAM NGUYEN                             Hello everyone, my name is Kham Nguyen and I am a seminarian of the Archdiocese of Wellington. I always feel blessed to have been born in a Catholic family. My hobbies are playing football, ping pong and writing. Thank you for your prayers for us seminarians.

PHO VO                                                Kia ora, my name is Pho Vo. I come from Vietnam. I was an engineer. I have been in New Zealand since September 2022. I am currently a seminarian training for Christchurch Diocese. Please keep us seminarians in your prayers. Thank you and God bless.

MATEO ANDREWS                                I am Mateo Juan Andrews. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, I never imagined that here would be where God would call me to follow him. I am a seminarian for the Auckland Diocese. Trusting in the Lord every step of the way, I chose to take on this journey of growth, in which I could come to find out what He is really planning for me to do.

SAMUEL TURNBULL                   Greetings! I am a seminarian for the Hamilton Diocese, having lived there my entire life. Before entering seminary I worked in IT. Please pray for me.

Ha Van Hung                                     Kia ora! My name is Ha Van Hung, and I belong to the Hamilton Diocese. I live with my wonderful family in Vietnam. We are a loving and supportive family, always cherishing happy moments together. I have four younger sisters, and I am the eldest. We enjoy playing fun sports together. In daily life, I focus on studying while also making time for hobbies like soccer, badminton, and volleyball. Life is a journey, and I embrace it with positivity! Please pray for me, and I will pray for you all. God bless!

DYESTER ABO-ABO                          Kia ora! I am Dyester from the Archdiocese of Wellington. Before moving to New Zealand from the Philippines, I was a psychologist by profession and also a faculty member at a Jesuit university. I grew up being actively involved in the parish where I encountered wonderful priests and religious who inspired me to consider the vocation of priesthood. Please include us in your prayers as we continue to discern, learn, and grow in our vocation.

PHILIP MALAITAI                                    Talofa lava, My name is Philip Malaitai. I'm a seminarian for the Auckland Diocese. I was born and raised in Samoa (685 babyy) before moving to New Zealand in 2013. I worked in construction as a Builder/Site Foreman for the 5+ years before joining the seminary. I am looking forward to exploring my new life as a seminarian and taking on the various challenges that accompany such a vocation. Please keep us in your prayers.

SY VAN NGUYEN                                 My name is Sy, I come from Vietnam. I belong to Palmerston North Diocese. i entered Holy Cross Seminary in 2025. Before arriving in New Zealand, I worked as an English assistant in Vietnam. I love music and playing Piano. Please remember us in your prayers.

PETER KHOA                                     My name is Peter Khoa. I was born and grew up in a Catholic parish in the middle of Viet Nam. My life is a gift from God, and He always chooses the best for me. He brought me to New Zealand in 2022 and now I am a seminarian for the Diocese of Auckland. Please remember me in your prayers.

ANTHONY NGUYEN                            My name is Anthony which was my baptised name. I am originally from Viet Nam and I am a first-year seminarian for the diocese of Auckland. I am into playing sports such as football and billiards. Please keep me in your prayers.

PAUL NGUYEN                                  Kia Ora! My name is Paul, and I’m a seminarian from the south of Vietnam, serving in the Diocese of Auckland. I have a deep love for Catholic art! As I continue my journey of discernment and growing closer to God, I humbly ask for your prayers. Please keep me in your thoughts.

TUAN NGUYEN                                     My name is Tuan, and I am from Vietnam. I am a seminarian for the Auckland Diocese with a deep passion for football. Please remember me in your prayers.