Ground broken at site of new Hamilton diocesan centre

On the feast day of St Peter Chanel, April 28, staff from the diocese gathered very early at the site, which is where the old boarding hostel for Sacred Heart Girls’ College, Euphrasie House, stood.

The site is in the same block as the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St Mary’s Chapel, the Gerry Sullivan Centre and Marian Catholic School.

The ceremony on April 28 involved Bishop Laurenson blessing the site and those present listening to the Word of God, as well as prayer for workers and all involved with the project. A hymn was sung in honour of St Peter Chanel, before a digger lifted the first dirt on the site. Afterwards, a shared breakfast of hot cross buns took place.

The new Chanel Centre will bring the diocese team together in a multi-purpose building.

“Any of those who have visited us at [the current] Chanel Centre will understand how much we are looking forward to being under one roof again. This new space will greatly enhance our ability to live our mission and serve our community,” stated a Hamilton Diocese Facebook post.

“We give thanks for all those who made this project possible and for those who will contribute in the days and months ahead. We continue to ask for [God’s] continued guidance and blessings on all who will be involved in this build that we will see the full vision of in January 2026!”

The new site is approximately 1.5km from the current Chanel Centre in Grey St, Hamilton East.

FULL STORY

Blessing and groundbreaking of new Chanel Centre site (Catholic Diocese of Hamilton)