Catholic diocese changes - new parish structure

Media Release

December 2, 2011

Catholic diocese changes - new parish structure

Introduction
The comprehensive year-long consultation on the future provision of Sunday mass throughout the Catholic diocese of Christchurch (including north, mid and South Canterbury; West Coast and Chatham Islands) has been completed, with excellent input from all.

Nine meetings were held throughout the diocese and large numbers of parishioners made written submissions, which were carefully evaluated: their contents influencing the final document.

Bishop Barry Jones, the Catholic Bishop of Christchurch, said that Sunday Mass is at the heart of the life of the church. “It, and parish life, requires the foundational ministry of the ordained priest. Because we now have a reducing number of priests, parish amalgamations will see the formation of larger parishes, fewer in number.

“New and wider parish boundaries will now include previously separate parish communities, making possible a sharing of resources, both human and material. These changes will cause some sorrow and sadness, but also present new opportunities. For many priests it will mean spending less time on administration and more on undertakng their priestly duties and advancing the mission of the Church,” he said.

New parish structure – how it will operate
Where two or more parishes combine to form one new parish there will be one parish council and one finance committee.

Where new parishes have been established, the historical and geographical connections between former parishes have been taken into account.

Eighteen new parishes have been formed, six of these will have a parish priest and an assistant priest, the others only a parish priest. The priest will live in the presbytery beside what will become the main church of the new parish.

New enlarged parishes may have more than one school under their care.

Earthquakes
Christchurch’s earthquakes and their aftermath have impacted upon the planning and changes. People have moved away or across the city. Some churches are damaged and insurance matters are pending; there is a possible shortfall to repair churches and meet the requirements of building code changes.

Future parishes
Christchurch Central and Hills Pastoral Area
The new parish of the Cathedral will comprise the old parishes of the Cathedral and Christchurch North and will include the Holy Cross Chapel. It will have an administrator, one assistant and one priest at the Holy Cross Chapel. Nazareth House will continue to be served by a Chaplain and the Maori chaplaincy based at Te Rangimarie. Te Rangimarie will have a chaplain. Woolston, comprising the old parishes of Woolston, Sumner and Lyttelton and the mass centre at Diamond Harbour will have one parish priest.
• A new church is possible for Sumner.

Christchurch South Pastoral Area
The new parish of Addington will incorporate the former Addington and Halswell parishes, including the mass centres of Carmel and St John of God Hospital. It will have a parish priest.
The new Somerfield parish will incorporate Hoon Hay and Beckenham and have one parish priest while Akaroa remains unchanged serving Akaroa parish and the Little River mass centre. It will have a parish priest.

Christchurch East Pastoral Area
The new Mairehau parish comprises the old parishes of Mairehau, Burwood and Dallington and will have a parish priest and an assistant priest. The new New Brighton parish comprises the old parishes of Aranui and New Brighton and will have a parish priest.
• The Dallington Church has been demolished because of the earthquakes and is in the ‘red zone’ with the land unable to be built on.
• A new church is possible for New Brighton.
• The Korean Church is to be demolished and a new church is possible.

Christchurch North Pastoral Area
The new parish of Bryndwr will incorporate the former Bryndwr and St Albans parishes and have one parish priest, while the Burnside parish will continue with one parish priest. The Papanui parish, which includes the mass centre at Bishopdale, remains unchanged and will continue to have one parish priest.
• This is seen as a significant growth area with many planned new housing developments and a possible new future church.

Christchurch West Pastoral Area
Riccarton parish remains unchanged and will have one parish priest The Korean Catholic Community currently base at St Teresa’s church will have a Chaplain. The new Selwyn parish will have one priest and take in Lincoln, Leeston, Darfield and the mass centre of Rolleston; the Sockburn parish will include Sockburn and Hornby and have one parish priest and an assistant priest.
• Rolleston is a growth area and a church may be needed in the future
• The Korean Church is to be demolished and a new church is possible.

Chatham Islands
• The current priest for the Chatham Islands is the parish priest of Sockburn.

Mid Canterbury Pastoral Area
Mid Canterbury will incorporate Ashburton, Methven, Rakaia and Tinwald with a parish priest and an assistant priest.
• Two priests are needed because of the geographic spread of the area as well as there being two schools and a hospital.

North Canterbury Pastoral Area
The new parish of Hurunui will comprise the old parishes of Hawarden, Hanmer Springs and Cheviot, including the mass centres of Culverden, Waiau and Amberley. It will have a parish priest. The new Waimakariri parish incorporates Rangiora and Kaiapoi and the mass centre of Oxford and will have a parish priest and an assistant priest.

South Canterbury Pastoral Area
The new Timaru parish will comprise the old parishes of Timaru South Sacred Heart and Timaru North. It will have a parish priest and an assistant priest. The Waimate parish remains unchanged and will be administered from Sacred Heart, Timaru. The Opihi parish will take in the former Temuka, Geraldine and Pleasant Point parishes and have a parish priest, while the new Mackenzie parish will include the old Fairlie and Twizel parishes and the mass centres of Albury and Tekapo. It will have one parish priest.

West Coast Pastoral Area
The Greymouth parish will comprise Greymouth, Runanga, Kumara and Grey Valley-Ngahere and will have a parish priest and an assistant priest. The Hokitika parish will have one priest and include Hokitika, Ross and Kokatahi, while South Westland will have one priest to based in Whataroa who will also cover Hari Hari, Franz Josef, Fox Glacier, Jacobs River and Haast.

© Scoop Media