Church of St. John the Baptist, Parnell

Last updated

Church of St John the Baptist
St John the Baptist's Church, Parnell.JPG
Church of St. John the Baptist, Parnell
36°51′18″S174°46′50″E / 36.85499°S 174.78049°E / -36.85499; 174.78049
Location Parnell, Auckland
CountryNew Zealand
Denomination Catholic
Website parnellcatholic.org.nz
History
Status Church
FoundedOctober 1860 (1860-10)
Founder(s)Father Michael O'Hara
Dedication John the Baptist
Dedicated12 May 1861 (1861-05-12)
by Bishop Pompallier
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architect(s) Edward Mahoney
Architectural type Church
Style Gothic Revival
Administration
Diocese Auckland
Clergy
Priest(s) Father Stephen Berecz
Designated1 March 2012
Reference no.562

Church of St. John the Baptist is a heritage-listed Roman Catholic church located in Parnell, a suburb of Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand. Designed by the architect Edward Mahoney, the church was opened in 1861 by Bishop Jean Francois Baptiste Pompallier, the founder of the Catholic Church in New Zealand. Historically it has supported a convent for the Sisters of Mercy and a school, and as of 2023 continues as a functioning parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Auckland.

Contents

The church building was listed as a Category I Historic building by Heritage New Zealand in 2012.

Early history

The church is sited on a part of land purchased by an Anglican Missionary Robert Maunsell, who in June 1858, sold it to Pompallier to be used for religious and educational purposes. Shortly after purchasing the land, Pompallier became the Bishop of Auckland and Father Michael O'Hara, the priest until 1862, established the church, with a confirmation in October 1860 that it would be named in honour of the Bishop's patron saint. [1]

Before the church was built, there was a Catholic primary school on a site next door, run initially by lay staff but later by the Sisters of Mercy. [2]

The architect Edward Mahoney designed the church using what has been called a "pared-back Gothic Revival style...[notable for]...well-lit interiors and the use of cross-braced roof trusses". [3] The church, initially a small timber building with a tower and spire, was opened on 12 May 1861 by Pompallier. [4] At that time another wooden building was constructed next to the church as a convent for the Sisters of Mercy who ran a school from the premises. The enlargement of the church in 1898 included a private chapel for the nuns. In 1903, the original convent was replaced by a larger structure with reception rooms, a refectory and quarters for nuns. [5]

Notable clergy

The church was originally a chapel of ease attached to the Cathedral, with Father O'Hara as the priest, until 8 December 1862 when it became a formal parish run by the Franciscans for eleven years. [4] : pp15-17  Following the Franciscans, Msgr. Henry Fynes was appointed the first diocesan priest. He ran the parish from 1873–1887 and was noted for his conciliatory approach toward the controversial debate at the time regarding the proposed New Zealand Government Education Act which aimed to make education secular. [4] : pp17-18  Local newspapers reported frequently on the high profile of the church and the enthusiastic participation of the parishioners. At one ceremony to renew Baptismal Vows, it was said that "not only seats, but the aisle and doorways were thronged, and numbers stood around outside the door", [6] and following a celebration of High Mass there by the Archbishop in 1880, another article reported that "the church was crowded to its utmost limits, and seats had to be laid through the aisle to proved extra accommodations". [7] One year the Christmas decorations of the Church were said to be "most pleasing, full and appropriate...elaborate, but in every way becoming within the sanctuary". [8] When Fynes died in 1887, the New Zealand Herald appended a brief biographical sketch of the man they said was "possessed in no ordinary degree of soundness of judgement, devotion to duty, and a happy disposition of mind". [9]

There was a period of short-serving clergy until 1891 when the Rev. Father Lenihan took over and was pastor until 1896. During his time the interior walls of the church were painted in a "light blue colour", noted as one of many improvements made by "the indefatigable parish priest, the Rev. Father Lenihan". [10] After Rev. Joseph Kehoe took over as parish priest in 1896, there were extensions to the church, with the New Zealand Tablet noting on 13 October 1898 that "with a befitting ceremony the new Church of St John the Baptist in Parnell was opened...a credit alike to the energetic priest in charge, Father Kehoe, and his good people who have worked together long and zealously towards this successful confirmation". [11] A new presbytery was later constructed and the old convent was demolished to be rebuilt in 1908. [4] : p.20  Kehoe died in 1914 and an obituary in the Taranaki Herald noted that even during his sickness, he was "he was unremitting and full of zeal in the discharge of his priestly duties..[and]...in his day he was an able preacher and a very accomplished musician". [12]

The first New Zealand-born parish priest was Rev. Matthew Brodie who only served briefly before becoming Bishop of Christchurch in 1915. Monsignor Jeremiah Cahill, parish priest from 1916–1925, was known as "a genial and sporting Irishman and a great personality", [4] : p.23  and is noted as a life member of the Auckland Marist Brothers Old Boys Rugby Club. [13] During Cahill's time a brick school building was erected.

Rev. John Brennan was parish priest from 1925 to 1930 followed by Monsignor Michael Edge who served in the role from 1930 until his death in 1942, and was remembered for his "Tridentine altar arrangements...[which]...were to become the swan song of the long-standing liturgical order". [4] : p.25  In 1931, the 70th anniversary of the church was celebrated and modifications were noted as including new "Gothic arches, columns and pelmets...[and]...altar rails...[which]...emphasised the importance of the sanctuary in the existing liturgical order". [1] Monsignor Leonard Buxton was the parish priest from 1942–1949 and he is credited with modifications of the convent building, enlargement of the chapel [1] and the reconstruction of the entrance foyer. [4] : p.25 

Father Edward Forsman, who was parish priest from 1949 until his retirement in 1974, has been described as "a man of genial temperament generous in hospitality, of musical and poetic gifts, and accomplished preacher and a born raconteur...also a scholar, philosopher and theological of some distinction". [4] : p.26  During the early period of Forsman's time at the church, the nuns at the convent continued to run a successful Catholic school, but in 1964 the Sisters of Mercy withdrew from Parnell and the school at the rear of church and convent was closed. [1] Forsman was said to have been upset by losing the school and at the same time was unsettled by the requirements of the post-Vatican II liturgical changes although he did cooperate with them by upgrading the altar and lectern. [4] : p.27 

The church altar Altar of Church of St. John the Bapist, Parnell Auckland.jpg
The church altar

In 1980 when the Marist Fathers took responsibility for the parish it was run by initially by Rev. Sloane, followed by Rev. Fitzpatrick. In 1989 the Marist Fathers left Parnell and the status of the parish once again became diocesan under the care of Father Kevin Hackett. In 1997 the church was completely refurbished [2] and from 2001 the convent building has been used as commercial office space. [5] Father Chris Denham came to Parnell from Holyname Parish, Puhoi [14] and served until 2021 when he was appointed Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland. [15] In March 2021, Father Francis Poon took over as parish administer and priest, [16] and as of 2023, Father Stephen Berecz is the parish priest. [17]

Local community

The church is situated in Parnell, an inner suburb of Auckland, and is close to other buildings with heritage status, including Ewelme Cottage, Kinder House, St Stephens Chapel and St Mary’s Church formerly known as the St Mary's Cathedral, Auckland. [18]

In 1986, one historian in regard to the place of the church within Parnell concluded "[that] aggiornamento has been accomplished without the usual recourse to an apparatus of lay councils and conferences; nor the voices of theological liberalism and neo-Modernism and politicising much heard in the precincts". [4] : p.33  On 12 June 2011, the church celebrated its 150th anniversary and the Parish priest Monsignor Kevin Hackett said he had seen many changes with major repairs and renovations of the building over the years and the church was still an important part of the Parnell community concluding "There wouldn't be too many times you come in and no one's there." [19]

Under the legal name of St John the Baptist of Parnell Ecclesiastical Goods Trust, the church was registered as a New Zealand Charity on 30 June 2008. [20]

Developments of buildings within the Parnell area have been problematic at times for the church. In 2009, a local group put a proposal to the Council to allow the demolition of a two-story building and construction of one that "would be four storeys high with shops, offices, a cafe and basement car parking for 86 vehicles", and the Parish priest Monsignor Kevin Hackett expressed his concerns about the church being completely shaded in winter, the extra traffic in the small side road and the potential for the site to be destabilised and cause a slip. [21] However while the application was dropped by the Council because of the number of submissions against it, a revised application was considered in 2011. Hackett said that because the developers had not informed the community of its new plans, the church was "not very impressed at all...Last time we went through the process and aired our views. This is all back door stuff". [22]

However, the church does feature in the Council's 2019 30-year plan for Parnell, a suburb which the plan says "has been fortunate to have retained many heritage buildings from a range of eras and styles including the Holy Trinity Cathedral, the Jubilee Building, St John the Baptist historic church...[and]...these much-loved buildings and facilities are among the many 'hearts' of Parnell". [23] : p.10  The plan noted in the forward that: "Looking to the future we want to protect and celebrate Parnell’s historic heritage and express its Māori history", [23] : p.4  and this is reflected in Objective 5 of the plan to: "Respect, recognise and protect Parnell's historic and cultural heritage and character." [23] : p.28 

Heritage registration

On 1 March 2012, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (since renamed as Heritage New Zealand) registered the church and convent as a Category 1 Historic Place. The buildings are said to have historic, social, aesthetic, archaeological and spiritual significance. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic Church in New Zealand</span>

The Catholic Church in New Zealand is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the leadership of the Pope in Rome, assisted by the Roman Curia, and with the New Zealand bishops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ponsonby, New Zealand</span> Suburb in Auckland, New Zealand

Ponsonby is an inner-city suburb of Auckland located 2 km west of the Auckland CBD. The suburb is oriented along a ridge running north–south, which is followed by the main street of the suburb, Ponsonby Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Chanel</span> 19th-century French Catholic priest, missionary, and martyr

Peter Louis Marie Chanel, SM, was a Catholic priest, missionary, and martyr. Chanel was a member of the Society of Mary and was sent as a missionary to Oceania. He arrived on the island of Futuna in November 1837. Chanel was clubbed to death in April 1841 at the instigation of a chief upset because his son converted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suzanne Aubert</span> New Zealand Roman Catholic nun

SuzanneAubert, better known to many by her religious name Mary Joseph or "Mother Aubert", was a religious sister who started a home for orphans and the under-privileged in Jerusalem, New Zealand on the Whanganui River in 1885. Aubert first came to New Zealand in 1860 and formed the Congregation of the Holy Family to educate Māori children. She founded a religious order, the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion in 1892. Aubert later started two hospitals in Wellington; the first, St Joseph's Home for the Incurables in 1900, and Our Lady's Home of Compassion in 1907.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parnell, New Zealand</span> Suburb in Auckland, New Zealand

Parnell is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is one of New Zealand's most affluent suburbs, consistently ranked within the top three wealthiest, and is often billed as Auckland's "oldest suburb" since it dates from the earliest days of the European settlement of Auckland in 1841. It is characterised by its mix of tree-lined streets with large estates; redeveloped industrial zones with Edwardian town houses and 1920s bay villas; and its hilly topography that allows for views of the port, the Waitematā Harbour, Rangitoto Island and the Auckland Domain. To its west lies the Auckland Domain, to the south Newmarket, and to the north the Ports of Auckland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Marys Bay, New Zealand</span> Suburb in Auckland, New Zealand

Saint Marys Bay is an inner suburb of Auckland, New Zealand.

Pompallier Catholic College is a Catholic co-educational secondary school located in the suburb of Maunu in Whangārei, New Zealand. It is one of nine secondary schools within the Marist network. Pompallier Catholic College is named after Bishop Jean Baptiste Francois Pompallier who led the first group of Catholic Missionaries from Lyons, France, to New Zealand. The patron saint of the college is John the Baptist. Students of Pompallier Catholic College are colloquially known as Pompallians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Baptiste Pompallier</span> First Bishop of Auckland

Jean-Baptiste François Pompallier was the first Roman Catholic bishop in New Zealand and, with priests and brothers of the Marist order, he organised the Roman Catholic Church throughout the country. He was born in Lyon, France. He arrived in New Zealand in 1838 as Vicar Apostolic of Western Oceania, but made New Zealand the centre of his operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Peter's College, Auckland</span> School in Auckland, New Zealand

St Peter's College is a Catholic secondary school for boys in the Edmund Rice tradition, and dedicated to St Peter. It is located in the central Auckland area of Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand. With a roll of over 1300 it is one of the largest catholic schools in New Zealand. St Peter's College was established in 1939 as a successor of Auckland's earliest school and of St Peter's School, founded in 1857. However, there was also another Catholic secondary school dedicated to St Peter, Hato Petera College or St Peter's Māori College, which existed for 90 years from 1928 until 2018 in Northcote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacred Heart College, Auckland</span> State-integrated school in Auckland, New Zealand

Sacred Heart College is a secondary school in Auckland, New Zealand. It is a Catholic, Marist College set on 60 acres (24 ha) of land overlooking the Tamaki Estuary in Glen Innes.

Philippe Joseph Viard was a French priest and the first Bishop of the Catholic diocese of Wellington, New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle</span> Latin Catholic diocese in Australia

The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle is a suffragan Latin Church diocese of the Archdiocese of Sydney, established in 1847 initially as the Diocese of Maitland and changed to the current name in 1995. The diocese covers the Hunter and Mid North Coast regions of New South Wales in Australia. The bishop of the diocese is Michael Kennedy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington</span> Catholic archdiocese in New Zealand

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington is the metropolitan archdiocese of New Zealand. Catholics number about 83,214. Parishes number 22 and the archdiocese extends over central New Zealand between Levin and Masterton in the north to Kaikoura to Westport in the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Auckland</span> Latin Catholic jurisdiction in New Zealand

The Diocese of Auckland is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in New Zealand. It was one of two dioceses in the country that were established on 20 June 1848. Auckland became a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Wellington in 1887. A large area of the diocese south of Auckland was split from the diocese on 6 March 1980 to form the Diocese of Hamilton. As of 2021, almost 40 per cent of New Zealand’s 471,000 Catholics lived within the diocese of Auckland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christianity in New Zealand</span>

Christianity in New Zealand dates to the arrival of missionaries from the Church Missionary Society who were welcomed onto the beach at Rangihoua Bay in December 1814. It soon became the predominant belief amongst the indigenous people, with over half of Māori regularly attending church services within the first 30 years. Christianity remains New Zealand's largest religious group, but no one denomination is dominant and there is no official state church. According to the 2018 census 38.17% of the population identified as Christian. The largest Christian groups are Anglican, Catholic and Presbyterian. Christian organisations are the leading non-government providers of social services in New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Peter's College, Gore</span> School

St Peters College is an integrated state secondary school in Gore, Southland, New Zealand. It was founded in 1969 as a private co-ed school and was the first Catholic co-educational boarding school established in New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hato Petera College</span> Integrated secondary (year 9-13) school

Hato Petera College was an integrated, co-educational college in Northcote Central, Auckland, New Zealand for students from Year 9 to Year 13. It existed for 90 years, opening on 3 June 1928 and closing on 31 August 2018. The school had a strong Catholic and Māori character. It was located on part of the land originally given by Sir George Grey, Governor of New Zealand, to Bishop Pompallier, the first Bishop of Auckland, in 1849 for education purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland</span> Historic church in Auckland Central City, New Zealand

The Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint Joseph is an heritage-listed Catholic cathedral church in Auckland CBD, situated on the corner of Federal Street and Wyndham St. It is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Auckland and the seat of the Bishop of Auckland.

E. Mahoney and Son was an architectural business consisting of Edward Mahoney and his son and architectural partner, Thomas Mahoney (1855–1923), who were prominent New Zealand architects based in Auckland. They were able exponents of Gothic Revival and other styles, especially built in wood, but also in masonry and concrete. They designed numerous public (especially churches, notable examples of which are Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church, Onehunga, Church of St John the Baptist, Parnell, St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Khyber Pass Road and private buildings, many of which are still standing. They made a considerable contribution to Auckland's architectural heritage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Seminary</span> Catholic seminary in New Zealand

St Mary's Seminary in Auckland, New Zealand, was established in 1850 by New Zealand's first Catholic bishop, Jean Baptiste François Pompallier. It operated until 1869.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Jones, Martin (1 March 2012). "Church and Convent of St John the Baptist (Catholic) Historical Narrative". Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. Archived from the original on 24 June 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  2. 1 2 "The Church of St. John the Baptist Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand" (A note for visitors – date unknown). Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  3. ↑ Shaw, Peter (1993). "Mahoney, Edward and Mahoney, Thomas". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. p. 1 (Biography). Archived from the original on 8 July 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2021. First published in 1993
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ardley, Gavin (April 1986). The Church of St. John the Baptist Parnell, Auckland: A brief history 1861–1986. Auckland Museum Collections Online: Akron Consolidated Limited. Archived from the original on 10 March 2022.
  5. 1 2 Jones, Martin (1 March 2012). "Church and Convent of St John the Baptist (Catholic) Summary". Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. Archived from the original on 24 June 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  6. ↑ "Renewal of Baptismal Vows". New Zealand Herald (2 October 1882). Vol. XIX, no. 651. National Library of New Zealand. p. 3. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  7. ↑ "Archbishop Steins at Parnell". New Zealand Herald (16 February 1880). Vol. XVII, no. 5693. National Library of New Zealand. p. 5. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  8. ↑ "Untitled". New Zealand Herald (28 December 1887). Vol. XI, no. 5028. National Library of New Zealand. p. 2. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  9. ↑ "Death of the Very Rev. Monsignor Fynes". New Zealand Herald (17 June 1887). Vol. XXIV, no. 7977. National Library of New Zealand. p. 5. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  10. ↑ "Untitled". The New Zealand Herald and Daily Southern Cross (16 April 1892). Vol. XXIX, no. 8854. National Library of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  11. ↑ "Church, Parnell". New Zealand Tablet (13 October 1898). XXVI (23). National Library of New Zealand: 27. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  12. ↑ "Obituary: Rev. Father Kehoe". Taranaki Herald (19 September 1914). Vol. LXII, no. 144484. National Library of New Zealand. p. 2. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  13. ↑ "Marist Life Members". Auckland Marist Brothers Old Boys Rugby Club. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  14. ↑ "Parish Priests of Puhoi (Later Puhoi & Warkworth combined to become Holyname Parish)". Holyname Parish. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  15. ↑ "Auckland clergy appointments for 2021". NZ Catholic. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  16. ↑ "St John the Baptist Catholic Church Parnell" (PDF). 14 March 2021. Archived from the original (Newsletter) on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  17. ↑ "Newsletter September 2023" (Newsletter). Church of St. John the Baptist. 24 September 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  18. ↑ "Heritage & History in Parnell". parnell.net.nz. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  19. ↑ McGillivray, Amy (1 June 2011). "Saint statue still missing from church". East & Bays Courier. stuff. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  20. ↑ "Charity Summary". Charities Services Nga Ratonga Kaupapa Atawwhai. Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  21. ↑ Gibson, Anne (23 September 2009). "Church fears being overshadowed". NZ Herald. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  22. ↑ "New office, take two". East and Bays Courier (5 December 2011). Archived from the original on 4 February 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  23. 1 2 3 The Parnell Plan: A 30-year plan for Auckland's First Suburb (PDF). Auckland Council (June 2019). ISBN   978-1-98-858994-7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  24. ↑ "NZHPT 562 Church and Convent of St John the Baptist (Catholic)". Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. 23 December 2021. Archived from the original on 3 February 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.