Diocese of Rarotonga

Diocese of Rarotonga Dioecesis Rarotongana
Coat of arms
Location
Country	Cook Islands, Niue
Metropolitan	Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Suva
Statistics
Area	234 km2 (90 sq mi)
Population Total Catholics	(as of 2017) 11,885 2,255 (19.0%)
Parishes	15
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	21 June 1966
Cathedral	Saint Joseph's Cathedral
Patron saint	Saint Joseph
Secular priests	9
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Bishop	Reynaldo Bunyi Getalado
Bishops emeritus	Paul Patrick Donoghue

The Diocese of Rarotonga (Latin: Dioecesis Rarotongana) in the Cook Islands is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church. it is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Suva in neighbouring Fiji. It was erected as the Prefecture Apostolic of Cook and Manihiki in 1922, elevated to the Vicariate Apostolic of Cook Islands in 1948 and elevated as the Diocese of Rarotonga in 1966. Niue is also part of the diocese, having been transferred from the Diocese of Tonga in 1972. ^[1]

Bishops

• Bernardin Castanié, C.I.M. (1923–1939)
• John David Hubaldus Lehman, C.I.M. (1939–1959)
• Hendrick Joseph Cornelius Maria de Cocq, SS.CC. (1964–1971)
• John Hubert Macey Rodgers, S.M. (1973–1977)
• Denis George Browne (1977–1983)
• Robin Walsh Leamy, S.M. (1984–1996)
• Stuart France O'Connell, S.M. (1996–2011)
• Paul Donoghue, S.M. (2011–2024)
• Reynaldo Getalado, M.S.P. (2024–present) ^[1]

Education

The primary school is Saint Josephs School, Rarotonga. Saint Mary's School on Mauke Island has closed down.

The secondary (high) school is Nukutere College in Rarotonga.

Churches

Catholic Cathedral of Rarotonga (and the Cook Islands)

Saint Joseph's Cathedral in Avarua is the only Catholic cathedral in the Cook Islands.

The three other Catholic churches in Rarotonga are St Mary's in Arorangi Village, St Paul's in Titikaveka Village and Sacred Heart in Matavera village.

References

1. Cheney, David M. "Diocese of Rarotonga". catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 22 December 2025.