Philippe Viard

Philippe Joseph Viard SM (11 October 1809 – 2 June 1872) was a French priest and the first bishop of the Catholic diocese of Wellington, New Zealand.

In May 1840 Bishop Pompallier sent Viard to set up a mission station at Tauranga with the help of a Maori catechist, Romano.

It was at Akaroa in November that news was received of Fr Peter Chanel's murder on Futuna Island in April.

[1] With Viard, Pompallier set out for Wallis and Futuna islands on his schooner, accompanied by the French corvette L'Allier.

Arriving at Sydney en route for the Bay of Islands in October, Viard was consecrated bishop by Archbishop Polding on 4 January 1846.

On 23 May 1847, Viard ordained Jean-Georges Collomb (SM; born 1816 – died 1848)[2] in Kororoareka on Pentecost Sunday.

In Thorndon (now Hill Street) the Marist lay brothers began building a clergy house and a convent for the sisters.

Viard had a vast diocese and few clergy but was able to open missions or parishes in the Hutt Valley, Hawke's Bay and Nelson.

The miners of the Otago and West Coast diggings helped Viard build up his depleted finances.

The affection Wellington people had for Viard was evidenced by the crowd which welcomed him back to New Zealand on 19 March 1871.