St Mary's Catholic Church, Hokitika Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary's Catholic Church

42°42′58″S 170°57′54″E / 42.71606°S 170.96502°E / -42.71606; 170.96502
Location	71 Sewell Street, Hokitika
Country	New Zealand
Denomination	Catholic
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Closed to the public
Architect(s)	Sidney and Alfred Luttrell
Architectural type	Neoclassical
Groundbreaking	1914
Completed	1928
Specifications
Materials	Plastered brick
Administration
Parish	Hokitika St Mary's
Archdiocese	Wellington
Diocese	Christchurch

St Mary's Catholic Church is a beautiful old church located in Hokitika, New Zealand. It's a special Catholic building and a well-known landmark on New Zealand's West Coast.

History of the Church
- Early Days in Hokitika
- Building the First Churches
Designing and Building the New Church
Church Status Today
Gallery
See also

History of the Church

Early Days in Hokitika

Many Catholic people, especially miners from Ireland, came to the West Coast of New Zealand. They were looking for natural resources like gold. Because so many Catholics lived there, a special area of about 2.5 acres was set aside for the Catholic community. This area was located between Tancred, Stafford, and Sewell streets.

Building the First Churches

The first church dedicated to Saint Mary was built in 1865. But it quickly became too small for everyone! So, a bigger church was built in 1866. By 1912, this second church was getting old and needed a lot of repairs.

Designing and Building the New Church

Starting the New Project

On July 15, 1912, the church committee decided it was time for a brand new church. They asked for designs and plans. A Greymouth architect named John Thomas Watson created an early design. He chose a Neoclassical style, which was different from the Gothic style that was popular before. This new style was inspired by the Christchurch Basilica, which had been finished in 1905.

The Luttrell Brothers' Role

The job of creating the detailed plans and building the church went to Alfred Luttrell, from the famous Luttrell brothers. They used Watson's ideas but also added many of their own unique touches to the design.

Construction Begins

The old 1866 church was taken down in February 1914. Bishop John Grimes laid the first stone for the new church on March 23, 1914. The new building was put in the same spot as the old one, but its main entrance faced Sewell Street instead of Tancred Street.

The main part of the church, called the nave, was first used on Christmas Eve in 1914. However, because World War I started and there were money problems, the front porch (called a portico) and the tower weren't added until 1920–21.

Special Details and Inside the Church

The portico has a Latin phrase on it: Deiparae Virgini Mariae, which means "Mother Virgin Mary." It also has the letters D.O.M., which stand for another Latin phrase, Deo optimo maximo, meaning "to the greatest and best God."

Inside, the church is simpler than its outside. This is common for other Neoclassical churches built in Canterbury around the same time. The inside has a large organ and a choir loft that hangs over the nave.

The church was built with double brick walls. But it wasn't until 1927 or 1928 that plaster was put on the outside, giving the church its final look.

Church Status Today

In 2004, St Mary's Catholic Church was recognized as a very important historical building. The New Zealand Historic Places Trust (now called Heritage New Zealand) listed it as a Category I structure. This means it has special historical importance.

However, after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake in February 2011, experts checked the church's structure. They found some issues, and because of this, the church was closed to the public in June 2012 to ensure everyone's safety.