Sacred items retrieved, others lost in Avondale church fire

Parish priest Fr Andrew Matthew and Auckland Diocese general manager James van Schie gave a video update two days after the fire that destroyed the church on July 14.

In the video, Fr Matthew said the altar stone and dedication plaque for the church had been retrieved. He said he was hoping the Celtic cross on top of the church and carved Maori panels at the entrance could be recovered, too. A note on Facebook from Auckland Diocese said the cross and panels were among items that had been retrieved, as had the baptismal font.

But the church’s statues and tabernacle were destroyed. The inner box of the tabernacle had been melted and there was nothing left inside it but molten metal, Fr Matthew said.

Mr van Schie said that the diocese and parish had been inundated with messages of support and prayer and there hadn’t been time to respond to all of these, so the video was made. Demolition of the church has started.

Fr Matthew said it “has been a roller coaster of a week and there has been a great outpouring of emotion, and it is a terrible thing that has happened, but we will persevere through it”.

“We came together on Monday night at Owairaka and we grieved as a family, as a group of people who love Our Lord, and are really sad at the loss of our sacred space for worship,” he said.

Weekday Masses are already being celebrated at one of the classrooms in St Mary’s School next door, and a chapel is being prepared. The chapel will have the Blessed Sacrament in it, Fr Matthew said. The school has been closed for the week.

“We have been given lots of gifts of altars and statues, and we have sacred vessels coming. So really the things that we lost in the fire are tragic, but they are replaceable. People are not. And we are a strong community here at Avondale, and we will keep being that,” Fr Matthew said.

Mr van Schie said that “no one was hurt in the fire, and I think on Monday when people gathered they really did pray in gratitude that no-one was hurt in this horrific fire”.

In Parliament, New Lynn MP Paulo Garcia said in the July 16 general debate that “it is a very, very sad time for the people of Avondale and New Lynn and neighbouring suburbs”.

“While this tragedy has meant that St Mary’s doors have closed for now, windows of joy and hope have actually opened: St Mary’s parishioners have had a renewal of their faith, united by this tragedy, and have been welcomed at the Christ the King parish in Owairaka, with open arms. We all look with hope to the future where St Mary’s doors will open again,” Mr Garcia said.

FULL STORY

Video (Catholic Diocese of Auckland/Facebook)

Garcia, Paulo – General Debate July 16 (NZ Parliament)