St Gerard's Church and Monastery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Gerard's Church and Monastery |
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St Gerard's Church and Monastery in 2008
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Gothic revival |
| Town or city | 73–75 Hawker Street, Mount Victoria, Wellington |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 41°17′31″S 174°47′27″E / 41.291962°S 174.790784°E |
| Construction started | Church: 1908 Monastery: 1931 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Church: John Sydney Swan Monastery: Frederick de Jersey Clere |
| Designated: | 5 April 1984 |
| Reference #: | 226 and 227 |
St Gerard's Church and Monastery are two famous buildings in Wellington, New Zealand. They sit high up on Mount Victoria, making them easy to spot from many parts of the city. Both buildings are considered very important historic places by New Zealand's heritage experts.
Before these buildings, a large house called Fitzgerald's Folly stood on this spot. It belonged to James Edward Fitzgerald, who some say was New Zealand's first Prime Minister. In 2021, the church had to close because of safety worries. The buildings were later sold in March 2023 to a new company called St Gerard's Limited.
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The Church Building
The church was built in 1908. It was designed by John Sydney Swan for a group of Catholic priests and brothers called the Redemptorists. This church was the first in the world to be named after Gerard Majella, an Italian saint from their order, after he became a saint.
The church has a simple Gothic design and is made of brick. It can hold about 200 people. The church is famous for its beautiful stained glass windows, which were made by Hardman and Son in England. The company even said these were the best windows they had ever sent overseas! John Swan also designed the fancy marble altar inside the church.
About Saint Gerard
Since this was the first church named after Gerard Majella, it received a special gift from Pope Pius X. This gift was a large oil painting of St Gerard in a moment of deep prayer. The painting was created in Rome for St Gerard's beatification (the step before becoming a saint) in 1893. Later, in 1904, it was carried in a parade through Rome and displayed in St. Peter's Basilica.
The Monastery Building
The three-story monastery was finished in 1932. It was built with money donated by the public and became a home for the Redemptorist priests. Frederick de Jersey Clere is usually given credit for designing the monastery.
The monastery is made of strong concrete with brick walls. It has Gothic-style windows and red-brick arches that form cloisters (covered walkways). These cloisters were designed to get lots of sunlight. The monastery stands out on the hillside. The Wellington City Council even bought land nearby to make sure nothing would block the amazing views of the monastery from Wellington Harbour.
The Redemptorists in New Zealand
The Redemptorists first came to Wellington in 1882. From 1908 until the monastery was built in 1932, they lived in the old Fitzgerald house. For 56 years, from 1932 to 1988, St Gerard's Monastery was the main place for their work in New Zealand.
They traveled around the country, giving talks and leading spiritual events in churches. At St Gerard's, they held regular prayer sessions and other religious activities. They also had groups for men and women. A special service they offered was always having a priest ready for anyone who wanted to confess or talk about their faith privately. The monastery also had a fantastic choir that was heard on the radio starting in 1927.
In 1988, after 80 years, the Redemptorists decided to sell the buildings. This was because the buildings were expensive to keep up, and they had fewer members. They also moved the special St Gerard painting.
The ICPE Mission
In 1992, a Catholic group called the Institute for World Evangelisation (ICPE Mission) bought the buildings. They used St Gerard's as a place for retreats and training for Catholic missionaries. The church continued to hold public services every Sunday.
The ICPE community started in Malta in 1985. They used St Gerard's to share their faith through worship and outreach. They held "Schools of Mission" where young people from many countries lived there for five months. These programs ended with a month of missionary work. ICPE missionaries also helped in churches across New Zealand. They ran programs in schools and helped people in need, like serving at a soup kitchen for the homeless. They also worked with prisoners and youth groups.
In 2020 and 2021, the ICPE could not run their missionary school because of travel rules during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also found it hard to get enough money to make the buildings safe from earthquakes. The church had to close, and the last public service was held on May 23, 2021. After 30 years, the ICPE Mission decided to sell the buildings because they needed too much money (around $11 to $13 million) for earthquake strengthening. The complex was sold in March 2023.
The ICPE Mission decided to continue their work in Wellington in a new way. About 20 members who had settled in Wellington formed a "Community of Companions." They decided to keep their community spirit by meeting monthly in each other's homes.
The ICPE donated the altar from the main church to the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. The Catholic Archbishop of Wellington, Paul Martin, was happy that such an important part of St Gerard's history would be kept in the cathedral. The ICPE also gave furniture and other items to community groups like St Vincent de Paul and the Salvation Army.
St Gerard's Limited
The complex was bought on March 27, 2023, for just under $5 million New Zealand dollars. The new owner is St Gerard's Limited. The previous owners had estimated that earthquake strengthening work would cost around $20 million.
See also
- Redemptorists of Australia and New Zealand
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington
- Sacred Heart Cathedral, Wellington
- St Joseph's Church, Mt Victoria
- St Mary of the Angels, Wellington
- Catholic Church in New Zealand
