Closing liturgy held at quake-damaged Canterbury church

On May 9, about 50 former and current Akaroa and Little River parishioners and friends joined Christchurch Bishop Michael Gielen and Fr Brian Fennessy and Fr Chris Orr of Our Lady of the Plains Selwyn for the closing liturgy for St John the Evangelist Church in Little River.

After a fitting and beautiful farewell, the group gathered for lunch at the Little River Tavern.

The foundation stone of the Catholic Church of St John the Evangelist was laid and blessed by Bishop Matthew Brodie on November 23, 1924. The building was closed following the 2010/2011 earthquakes.

An agreement with the Christchurch City Council, which was associated with the temporary strengthening of the church, meant that the church was not able to be sold or demolished until August last year. The Akaroa Parish has now received approval from Bishop Gielen to sell the property.

In about 1880, there were only four Catholics living in Little River, so Mass was first celebrated in a private home and later moved between the school building, the Māori Hall and the library.

The Catholic community purchased the former school building in 1894. The church, designed by Christchurch architect Henry St Aubyn Murray, was built of Halswell blue stone with Oamaru stone facings. The roof is of Welsh slate. Rennell Brothers were the builders.

Mr Murray practised architecture in Christchurch between the wars. Among his many Catholic churches, his best known is the Catholic Church of the Holy Name in Ashburton (1930).

FULL STORY

On Saturday 9 May, around 50… (Catholic Diocese of Christchurch/Facebook)

CHRISTCHURCH CITY PLAN – LISTED HERITAGE ITEM AND SETTING (Christchurch City Council)

Selwyn Parish Newsletter (Our Lady of the Plains Parish Selwyn)