Owen Snedden was the first Auckland-born priest to be consecrated a Roman Catholic bishop.
15 Facts About Owen Snedden
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The sixth and last child of parents who were married in 1891, Snedden was born in Auckland on 15 December 1917.
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Owen Snedden began studying for the priesthood at Holy Cross College, Mosgiel, in 1934.
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Owen Snedden was ordained a priest for the Auckland Diocese in Rome on 24 February 1941.
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Owen Snedden was still studying in Rome in 1940 when Italy declared war on France and the UK, and while offered the opportunity to return to New Zealand, he, and his great friend Fr.
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In 1948, on the appointment of McKeefry as Archbishop of Wellington, Owen Snedden took over the role of editor and held the position for 14 years until he too was transferred to Wellington.
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On 23 May 1962, Owen Snedden was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Wellington and Titular Bishop of Achelous.
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Owen Snedden was consecrated on 22 August 1962 by Archbishops McKeefry and Liston and Bishop Delargey.
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Owen Snedden attended the final three sessions of Vatican II Council beginning with the second session which commenced on 29 September 1963.
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Owen Snedden was quite moved by his initial experience of the council, lining up as one of such a large gathering of bishops representing a universal church.
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Owen Snedden, who took over the administration of the Archdiocese as Vicar Capitular, preached the panagyric at McKeefry's funeral.
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On 28 October 1976, Owen Snedden was appointed Bishop of the New Zealand Military Vicariate.
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Owen Snedden was the Vicar Capitular administering the archdiocese after the death of Cardinal Delargey.
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Owen Snedden was Thomas William's principal Consecrator and the Co-Consecrators were Bishop Kavanagh and Archbishop Mataca of Suva.
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Owen Snedden died on Good Friday, 17 April 1981, aged 63.