The Catholic Diocese of Dunedin is to demolish the 82-year-old St Bernadette’s Church and the adjacent C J Collins Centre in Forbury Rd within the next few months, to make way for a new apartment building.
Diocesan general manager Gerald Scanlan said some of the car park area immediately in front of the presbytery would be turned into an apartment complex, while the front entrance to the neighbouring St Bernadette’s School would be improved. Enhancements were planned for the existing school hall.
"It’s going to be quite a nice facility, and the street front is going to be a lot more welcoming than it is at the moment."
Mr Scanlan said it was not yet known if the apartments would be sold, or rented, as a source of revenue.
"I’m not completely sure what the intentions are yet. But the intention is to generate a little bit of income from the existing site, so that we can meet other expenses within the parish."
He believed construction would begin some time next year.
A Mass was held yesterday to commemorate the official decommissioning of the church.
It was attended by the Catholic Bishop of Dunedin, the Most Rev Colin Campbell, and provided an opportunity for many of its congregation to reminisce and celebrate St Bernadette’s role in the faith formation of many Dunedin residents.
Mr Scanlan said although the changes were overwhelmingly positive and many were excited by them, it was recognised some people would also be saddened by the loss of the church, given that many people had celebrated significant events in their lives there.
Earlier this year, the congregation at St Bernadette’s merged with St Brigid’s (Tainui) and St Alphonsus (Waverley) into Mercy Parish in the newly refurbished and modified St Patrick’s Basilica, in Macandrew Rd.
Mercy Parish priest Fr Gerard Aynsley said there were several reasons for the closure of the churches, the main one being to refocus on their mission to the community rather than on maintaining old church buildings.
Dwindling congregation numbers also played a part and times were changing for Dunedin’s Catholic churches, he said.
St Bernadette’s Church was opened on June 24, 1934 by Bishop Brodie of the Christchurch Diocese.
