Closing ceremony for Naseby church

Pictured at the decommissioning ceremony of Naseby's Sacred Heart Church on Sunday were Kathleen McMullen (96), left, of Dunedin, who was baptised at the church when she was a baby, Bishop Colin Campbell, who celebrated the final mass, and Carole Clarke, of Naseby, whose family had attended services at the church for more than 60 years.

The historic kauri and rimu building, which opened on April 29, 1906, was decommissioned in a special ceremony on Sunday conducted by Bishop Colin Campbell, of Dunedin.

About 100 people attended the service, followed by a pot-luck dinner at the Naseby Town Hall.

The building has been bought by Phil Flanagan and his partner Suzie Farrell, of Naseby, who intend to get ‘‘a feel for the building'' with their two children before making any plans.
‘‘I just love the architecture of old buildings in general, but particularly churches,'' Mr Flanagan said.

‘‘In the short term, it will remain empty. We obviously need to get plans drawn up and permission from the historic places trust for any work done on the outside.
‘‘Anything I would do would be completely unobtrusive.''

Some old iron crosses, which he intended to put back on the building because they had been removed, and a couple of church pews, were the only remaining chattels, he said.

If anyone approached him, he may consider using the building as a gallery, but in the long-term it was likely to be used as a holiday home, he said.

Bishop Campbell said the church had not been used for mass for some time and people from Naseby had attended the Sacred Heart Church in Ranfurly.

‘‘I think there was a two-fold thing - there was the sadness about a church closing, but with it there was a realisation about it, given the population trends and mobility.

"People were pretty understanding about it - everyone seemed in good heart,'' Bishop Campbell said.

The last mass had been held about three or four years ago during Christmas and the January holidays, by Fr Maurice White, of Ranfurly, who was now retired in Winton, he said.

Fr White was present at Sunday's final mass, along with Fr Leslie Vaughan, formerly of Ranfurly.

The church bell was removed last week and would be put up at St John's Catholic School in Ranfurly ‘‘to keep it as a memento of the past''.

Congregation members who attended the final service on Sunday included Carole Clarke (67), of Naseby, who had attended services in the church with her mother and members of her family for more than 60 years.

She and her husband Reg, along with one of their three daughters, married in the church.

‘‘I use to sweep it out, keep it clean,'' Mrs Clarke said. ‘‘My mother and aunties use to do it for years and years and I think it was just handed down over the generations - there's so few Catholics here in Naseby.''

On Monday, various interested parties had gone along to empty the church, she said. Kathleen McMullen (96), of Dunedin, also attended Sunday's final service.

She was baptised at the church when she was a baby.