St. Thomas Aquinas, (1225 – 7 March 1274) was a Catholic Dominican priest from Italy, and is a Catholic saint and philosopher. He was born in Roccasecca, as the son of Count Andulf of Aquino and Countess Theodora of Teano.

By 1240, he became interested in the religious life and decided to become a friar with the new Dominican Order. His family captured him and brought him back because to become a Dominican one must eliminate material wealth. His parents expected him to follow in his uncle’s footsteps and become a Benedictine abbot. They kept him in a castle in an effort to change his mind. However, when they released him two years later, he immediately joined the Dominicans.

Many schools are named after him including the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines.

Aquinas is also known for his work with natural law. Aquinas took an optimistic view of human nature, believing that it is human nature to do good and not evil.

St Peter Chanel was born on 12 July 1803 in France. He worked as a shepherd when he was a boy. The local priest noticed his kindness and his interest in reading, and encouraged him to study.

He became a priest in 1827 when he was 23.

He decided he wanted to be a missionary and spread God's word to people overseas. Eventually he travelled to the South pacific Islands in 1836 and went to Futuna Island. He learned the local language and set up a school.

He was loved by the locals for his kindness and care for the sick. They trusted him. However, the island's King Niuliki was jealous of Fr. Chanel's popularity and influence over his people. When the king's own son decided to become a Catholic, the king was so angry he sent warriors to kill Chanel.

Fr Peter Chanel was beaten to death with clubs, and chopped into pieces on 28 April 1841.

Within three years, everyone on the island had become Catholic.

Chanel was Oceania's first martyr. A martyr is someone who dies for what they believe in. He is the patron saint of Oceania (which includes New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific Islands.)

His feast day is 28 April and he was made a saint on 12 June 1954.

He is a model for Chanel members because he did what he taught – he loved people, forgave his enemies, cared for others and lived his life as Jesus did. St Peter Chanel's life also shows us that although we may not always achieve what we set out to do, if we stay true to what we believe is right, success will come in the end. We should not be defeated by our failures.

Adèle-Euphrasie Barbier, known in religious life as Marie du Coeur de Jésus, was born on 4^th January 1829, in Caen, France. The family had a strong faith and her parents instilled into their young family the values of honesty and hard work. When Euphrasie was a young adult the church in France was strong and vibrant with many new congregations being founded to work in France with the growing numbers of poor people or to work overseas in the colonies of the different European imperial powers. At this time Euphrasie was inspired by a Bishop preaching on his experiences in the mission fields. She yearned to be a foreign missionary.

Following her missionary dream, in 1848, Euphrasie entered a newly established missionary institute known as the Sisters of Calvary which had been established in Cuves. She was professed in 1851 and left for a mission in London. As the 1850’s drew to a close she realised that her dream of being a foreign missionary was not going to eventuate if she remained a Sister of Calvary. After prayer and dialogue with advisers Euphrasie left the Sisters of Calvary and returned to France where the possibility of working with the Marist Fathers in their mission in Oceania looked promising.

Bishop Pompallier was born in Lyons, France, in 1801. He was consecrated Bishop with responsibility for Western Oceania (including New Zealand) in 1836.

He arrived in New Zealand in 1838, and by the mid-1840s had established a number of Catholic missions. By 1843 the French missions claimed about 45,000 Maori converts.

The position of the French mission was precarious. Relations between Britain and France were tense at this time, most British settlers were hostile, and the English Church Missionary Society was making inroads. These difficulties were worsened by isolation, lack of resources, and disruption caused by the wars. Most of the French missions failed – except in the north, where a Catholic influence was maintained.

Pompallier was sympathetic to Māori concerns, and for his time, he had an enlightened view towards Māori culture. He was at Waitangi when the Treaty was signed on 6 February 1840, and asked Lieutenant-Governor Hobson for his promise to protect the Catholic faith. This pledge is sometimes referred to as the unwritten "fourth article" of the Treaty, and is said to protect and recognise not only major western religions, but also Māori custom.