Suzanne Aubert: A Life Dedicated to Helping Others

On 14 October 1892, Suzanne Aubert became the first Mother Superior of the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion, a religious order she had established earlier that year at Hiruharama, also known as Jerusalem, on the Whanganui River in New Zealand.

Born in France, Suzanne Aubert arrived in New Zealand in 1860. She later travelled to Hiruharama in 1883 with a priest and two other sisters to help revive a Catholic mission, following a request from local Māori. During her time there, she developed strong connections with Māori communities and became fluent in French, English and te reo Māori.

Known initially in religious life as Sister Mary Joseph, Aubert dedicated herself to helping people in need. She took in unwanted children and became increasingly involved in supporting poor and vulnerable communities. She also published a Māori–English phrasebook and prepared traditional Māori herbal remedies for sale to help fund the mission. Her knowledge of native plants and their medicinal properties had been shared with her by Māori.

In 1899, Aubert and the sisters moved to Wellington, where they established St Joseph’s Home for Incurables to care for people with serious illnesses who had nowhere else to turn. They later opened facilities to support babies, children with disabilities and families experiencing poverty. The sisters also ran a soup kitchen, collecting donated food and other essential supplies to help those struggling to survive.

Mother Aubert’s work extended beyond religious boundaries, with her services supporting people from different backgrounds and faiths. Her dedication earned her widespread respect throughout New Zealand.

Suzanne Aubert died in 1926 at the age of 91. Her funeral was widely reported as one of the largest ever held for a woman in New Zealand at that time. In 2016, Pope Francis declared her “Venerable”, marking an important milestone in the process towards possible sainthood.

Today, Suzanne Aubert is remembered for her compassion, commitment to social welfare and lifelong efforts to care for some of New Zealand’s most vulnerable people.

Source: Manatū Taonga — Ministry for Culture and Heritage, NZHistory.