St Marys Church. Ahaura.ca.1900`s.

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DescriptionFather Servajean was appointed Ahaura parish priest in 1897 and immediately began collecting for a new church as the old one was too small. The church, which cost £350, was opened debt-free in 1898. Its architect was J.A. Eissenhardt, builders Currie Brothers. It was still standing in 1971. Fourteen months after arriving at Ahaura Fr Servajean was transferred to Christchurch.Date of Photoca.1900`sMap^[1]ContributorHistory House Museum

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Location (city or town)Ahaura.PersonFather ServajeanJ.A. EissenhardtLandmark (Place)St Marys ChurchOrganisation (eg business)St Marys Church

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Date Created30th July 2023CommentsJudy Bagnall
Pauline Failes

Maree Lewis
Those amazing early mis sionaries were so capable, and worked so hard to spread the Word ofGod. Here am I, a bit scared to argue with the Jehovah Witnesses. What a sook!

Trish Hutana
Great photo

Margaret Riordan
Thank you for this beautiful photo. My great-uncle, Fr John Riordan, came here after his ordination, in January 1915 as assistant priest. (But left a year later in January 1916 to be parish priest in Ross.)

Margaret Riordan
Fr John Riordan died in Ross in 1925, and the NZ Tablet recorded the warm feelings the people of Ahaura still held for him.
May be an image of text that says 'AHAURA (From our NOTES own correspondent.) April 27. It was with deep regret that the people of, the Ahaura parish learned of the death on the 18th inst. of Rev. Father Riordan, and naturally with tho deepest by those who had known him so well as a devoted and eàrnest priest. Full of missionary zeal he left his parisli some ten or eleven years ago toi take charge of the far-flung parish of Ross, where his priestly ministrations en- deared him only to his own devoted péople but to many outside the fold. The not'

Colleen Yee
A lovely little country church. I have never seen a photo taken from inside. It would be interesting to see what happened to the church windows when it was dismantled.
Bev Huston
Slightly off-topic but to do with the Parish. Dad (Frank Martin) who had the General Store at Ahaura had this true story about Father Quinn (must have been mid to late 1940s as I remember him..) Father Quinn's Parish included regulars on Dad's grocery run to Totara Flat and Ikamatua. Story is Father Quinn would set off with his notebook and a prepared list - written in pencil - of donors and amounts given for the current fund raising project. Prospective donors would be shown on the fictitious list how much their neighbours had already given and it was often a matter of pride that a greater amount was offered to out-do the neighbours.

Mike Ledingham
Sadly the reason many catholic clergy did not remain very long in parishes was because so many of them were child abusers.

Caroline Dunlop
Mike Ledingham Back in 1897. Very likely not even reported.

Joe Kelly
Mike Ledingham a tiny minority, at time when child abuse was normal.

Jock Fisher
Child abuse was never Normal.

Mike Ledingham
I beg to differ. Watch for the report from our Royal Commission when it finally comes out. Our Network of Survivors has named 62 catholic organisation's within NZ as abusers and given this only comes from a conservatively estimated 20% of victims it tells a horrible sordid tale of misery for many children.

Judy Bagnall
Pauline Failes The flowers with Pat on a Saturday afternoon!

Pauline Failes
Judy Bagnall while we played the organ

Paul Agnes Smith
Remember the building well.

Colleen Yee
The presbytery in the background, i wonder what it looked like inside.

Dorothy Wills
Nice looking building

Pauline Sigglekow
What a dear little church

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St Marys Church. Ahaura.ca.1900`s.

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