WelCom February 2022
Anita Peters, GBweekly
Tākaka’s historic marble church was lit up for the Christmas season. Since the doors were closed and the power disconnected in 2012, the Sacred Heart Church has sat forlornly empty.
But over the Christmas weeks, after dark, its interior came alive with a solar-lit nativity scene and a Christmas tree hung with prayer cards amidst twinkling lights, inviting more than just a passing glance.
‘I think people get a sense of comfort if there are some lights on at night in the church,’ says parishioner Kate O’Byrne. ‘It gives them a nice feeling. We first lit the ceiling up and it looked so beautiful; the stones inside really stood out. So, I put strings of fairy lights up just to enhance its beauty and to draw the attention of people as they walk past. And because we’re not occupying the church at the moment, it’s been a good opportunity to peek through and have a look inside.’
Now 103 years old, this is the only stone church in Tākaka and a local icon. Since being declared a possible earthquake risk in 2012, many decisions have had to be made concerning the repairs and structural work required to meet the subsequent revised building regulations. But hope is strong that this coming year strengthening can begin.
‘There’s been a very good committee of people who have carried this a long time,’ says one of its members, Sheryl Nalder. ‘It’s been 10 years since the church was closed and five years since we started planning. But there’s still a lot to be done to complete the decision-making.’
‘This church has a very special feeling,’ adds Kate. ‘We want to do everything we can to have it more usable.’