Te Kupenga—Catholic Theological College combines the resources and traditions of two New Zealand theological colleges: Holy Cross College, Mosgiel, and Mount St Mary’s College, Greenmeadows.
In 1890, the Marists at Meeanee in Hawkes Bay formed the first faculty of Mount St Mary’s, a Novitiate-Scholasticate for the formation of religious priests for the Society.
Mount St Mary’s, as the Scholasticate was called, remained on this site until 1992, when, after 100 years in Hawkes Bay, the College transferred to Auckland and became a member of the Auckland Consortium for Theological Education.
Holy Cross College was established in 1900 at Mosgiel in the Diocese of Dunedin as the national seminary for forming diocesan priests. The formation of diocesan priests at Mosgiel was undertaken for ninety-eight years.
Following significant discussions, the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference and the Society of Mary agreed to collaborate on the theological education of candidates for the priesthood in New Zealand. The outcome was the establishment of what was formerly Good Shepherd College, a theological institution where Diocesan and Marist seminarians prepared for the priesthood.
Today, Te Kupenga – Catholic Theological College continues this mission, focusing on the education of seminarians pursuing the priesthood. The College also welcomes anyone interested in studying Catholic theology and offers opportunities for distance learning to accommodate a broader range of students.