“I HELPED when help was needed, and to me that was just a natural thing to do.”

HONOURED: 85-year-old Louise Noble-Campbell's service to the church was recognised by Pope Benedict XVI. Times photo Nic Daley.

Such is the dictum of Louise Noble-Campbell, and such is the ethic that’s seen her church service recognised by Pope Benedict XVI.

The 85-year-old was awarded the Papal Honour, Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (for the Church and Pontiff), at Our Lady Star of the Sea parish on Sunday.

A throng of past and present priests and parishioners gathered to congratulate and celebrate her award, recognising some 40 years service to the church.

The English translation of the Latin diploma notes the decoration was “especially established for those who have been eminent by reason of their zeal and devoted activity”.

Mrs Noble-Campbell was humbled by the award.

“There were a few tears because people came to me and wanted to give me a hug and kiss, and telling me what I had done for them or their family.”

She was the parish secretary for about 30 years and more recently has been a member and secretary of the parish finance council.

“I’ve started to keep with the times, I’ve even learnt to use a computer.”

Though such technology isn’t all it’s made out to be, she says.

“I’m not an expert, I can do quite a lot of things. But it has its limitations. I feel that with a lot of computerised things you lose the human contact, which is my forté.”

She has a vast knowledge of parishioners, and is always happy to help others.

“It didn’t matter what it was so long as I was able to be of service to somebody, to something; whatever I could do,” she says.

“I would say ‘yes I’ll do it’ – then think ‘gosh what have I let myself in for’,” she quips.

But Mrs Noble-Campbell hasn’t always been a Howick Pakuranga local, and admits she only found her faith after coming to New Zealand.

Born and raised in Belgium, she became involved in Catholic life from an early age. She also had one of the fastest baptism to confirmation turnarounds ever seen.

“The bishop was coming to the town and the priest asked if we wanted to be confirmed, and everybody wanted to be confirmed. So we had to bring in our baptism certificate. So I went home and asked for the certificate, to be informed that I wasn’t baptised.”

She relayed that to the priest, who arranged for somebody to ask her about her faith and teachings.

“Then on a very cold morning the priest came back and took me to the local church at the crack of dawn. I was baptised, my confession heard, I received Holy Communion and the week after I was confirmed.”

But that in itself didn’t make her a Catholic, she says.

“I had been through the mill, and had the knowledge, but I don’t think I had the faith at the time.”

The beginning of World War II interrupted her teacher training courses, and in 1940, along with other Belgians, she attempted to flee to France.

“All the people who were trying to get to France were under fire. You had the Germans on one side and the retreating army on the other and they were fighting over us. Then one morning the Germans overtook us and stopped us going forward, saying ‘go back to where you came’.”

She completed her education in Brussels and in 1945 began working at the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and then the International Refugee Organisation (IRO).

Intending a holiday she travelled to New Zealand in 1951, but became involved with the French community in Wellington. She met Vincent Noble-Campbell and the two were married in 1960.

It was shortly after her arrival in Wellington where she discovered her faith.

“One day somebody wanted to go to the novena [prayer session] at St Gerard’s in Wellington.”

Rain delayed her attempts at getting to the church before she finally arrived.

“Then I went in and that’s when it happened. That’s when I really became a Catholic.”

When her husband transferred to Auckland for work in 1966, the couple settled in Bucklands Beach.

She admits she was “at a loss” when she arrived, but found a connection at the convent school, and began teaching French.

She, and others in the parish, hope that service and connection will continue for many years to come.

“I don’t know about that. It all depends whether I can get my driver’s licence renewed next year,” she quips.

Parish priest, Father Pat Brady, finished Sunday’s ceremony by saying: “For Louise the parish is like family, and for many Louise is at the heart of our parish family.”