page_title: Paul-Antoine Léonard de Villefeix
section_title: Early life
hierarchical_section_title: Paul-Antoine Léonard de Villefeix / Early life
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Die Kirche von Étouars im Norden der Dordogne, Frankreich. English: The church of Étouars in the north of the Dordogne, France. Français&#160;: L'église d'Étouars en Dordogne, France.
context_page_description: Paul-Antoine Léonard de Villefeix OP was a French Dominican priest. He conducted the first Christian service in New Zealand. He was the chaplain of French navigator and explorer Jean-François-Marie de Surville when de Surville, in his ship, the Saint Jean Baptiste, sighted the North Island of New Zealand in 1769. De Surville remained two weeks in Doubtless Bay, near Whatuwhiwhi, where Villefeix celebrated the first Mass in New Zealand waters on Christmas Day 1769.
context_section_description: Villefeix was born near Étouars in Perigord. One of his brothers, Léonard de Lestang, was also a priest, himself becoming parish priest of Étouars.
caption: Parish church of Étouars
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