They're few and far between in NZ, sadly. In Auckland, the clergy, almost without exception, are a bland group of nobodies whose homilies are either anecdotes or "can't we all just get along" type stuff. It's awful. I can't bear to go in St. Patrick's Cathedral anymore. It used to be a beautiful church and they gutted it. All in the name of bringing it up to date.
The only bright light I see is that there seems to have been a minor influx of Asian priests due to the priest shortage and they are more spiritual and orthodox men. Have you had a look at Te Atatu? I think that there are elements of traditional Catholic spirituality there for sure.
I grew up in the opulent splendor of South Auckland.........Otahuhu, Mangere East........so I know exactly what it's like and what you're dealing with. Back in the day, they were solid working class areas. Not rich but self-respecting and hard working. Now they're little more than crime-infested ghettos.
Mangare East might surprise you now. Quite a strong Christian presence there, thanks largely to a family services centre that has brought various parts of the community together.
I was quite impressed when I first met with them: so much so that I accepted a seat on their Board of Governors about a year ago.
Otahuhu is, as you’ve said, a crime infested ghetto — nothing will change until people stop accepting it. The issue there is community attitude, not policing. That, and a lack of positive role models for the youth, and multi-generational welfare — you’d probably have seen evidence of that. They are now reportedly onto their fifth generation, some of them. Five generations, with no jobs!
I haven’t checked the church out in Te Atatu yet — I am in Waitakere City, so perhaps I should. I’ve been to Glen Eden and also to Titirangi, where they say Latin Mass.