The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference has warmly thanked the many people who made a success of the Mass of Dedication of St Mary of the Angels church in Wellington as the National Shrine to Mary, Mother of God, Assumed into Heaven.
The century-old landmark church was full almost to overflowing with the colourful diversity of the Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand for the special 2pm Mass on August 14.
It was the finale of a year of celebration that began at the church the same Sunday a year ago with a rededication of the country to Mary, followed by a hīkoi (journey) of the specially-commissioned artwork, Ko Hāta Maria, te Matua Wahine o te Atua — Holy Mary, Mother of God, around the country’s six dioceses.
The artwork icon — by Rangiora artist Damien Walker of the Studio of St Philomena — was carried back into the church at the start of the Dedication Mass, and will be on permanent view there as part of the national shrine.
Cardinal John Dew, president of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference and Archbishop of Wellington, said that the bishops wish to thank everyone who worked to make the Mass such a success.
“This was an important event, and everything happened so smoothly thanks to the enormous efforts put in by so many, many people,” said Cardinal Dew.
In his homily as celebrant of the Mass, Cardinal Dew noted that sacred sites were found in many places around the world, such as cathedrals, temples, war memorials, Ground Zero in New York, and, in Wellington, the tomb of the Venerable Suzanne Aubert and a memorial to the Wahine disaster.
“Sacred sites all over the world are visited by thousands . . . they may be natural sites or designed and built by human beings. These places often hold deep meaningful messages, are awe-inspiring, they prompt us to reflect on life, on where we are with God, [they] stir up feelings of awe and reverence and draw us close to God.
“St Mary of the Angels is already a sacred place and has been for 100 years. Now this Icon of Mary Mother of God Assumed into Heaven is here permanently . . . we hope and pray that, in time, this becomes one of those sacred sites.”
Cardinal Dew noted that, although the icon is in the church permanently, it has yet to be installed in its permanent position in the building.
“There is a theory that we do not create or make our own sacred places,” Cardinal Dew added. “The holy place, the holy ground chooses itself rather than being created by us — it is the grace of God at work. One religious historian, in reflecting on this idea, wrote, ‘in actual fact, the place is never chosen by men and women, it is merely discovered by them’. Somehow the sacred place reveals itself to us. This Shrine of Mary the Mother of God assumed into Heaven is here! — ready to be discovered by the nation.”
The artwork icon — Ko Hāta Maria, te Matua Wahine o te Atua — Holy Mary, Mother of God — is carried into the church by local college students.
“For one hundred years this Church has been a sacred place,” Cardinal Dew continued. “It takes on new meaning today [as] a National Shrine, and it is wonderful! Today, on this Feast of the Assumption, we give thanks that Mary’s bodily Assumption into heaven makes clear to us that there is room for our humanity in heaven too.”
Cardinal Dew challenged people to enshrine Jesus and Mary in their hearts. “Jesus has already told us that he makes his home within us; if he is at home in us, then so is Mary his mother.”
On August 14, local college student volunteers carried in the icon as Fr Chris Skinner, SM, played and sang his song Hata Maria, specially composed for St Mary of the Angels to commemorate the year of events.
Korty Wilson, the Kaiwhakarite Māori Apostolate from Palmerston North Diocese, described the final stages of the hīkoi before the icon’s arrival back at the church. Children from Wellington primary schools carried flowers up the aisle to place by the altar. And to the sound of the Pūtātara, the conch-shell trumpet and the lyrics of Mō Maria, the bishops processed to the altar; Cardinal Dew and concelebrants Archbishop Paul Martin, SM (Wellington), Archbishop Novatus Rugambwa (Apostolic Nuncio), Bishop Stephen Lowe (Auckland), Bishop Michael Gielen (Christchurch) and Bishop Michael Dooley (Dunedin).
The country’s first Catholic Bishop, Jean-Baptiste Pompallier, dedicated the country to Mary Assumed into Heaven when he celebrated the first Mass at Totara Point in the Hokianga in January, 1838. Last year’s renewal of the dedication came after requests from Catholics during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Centenary
The congregation sings during the Mass.
The Mass of Dedication of the shrine this year was the culmination of three days of celebration of the centenary of St Mary of the Angels church.
According to a piece by parish priest Fr Kevin Mowbray, SM, in the August 14 Angelus parish newsletter, the second church on the current site was destroyed by fire in 1918. The then-parish priest, Fr Stan Mahoney, set about building a new church, designed by Fr De J. Clere. The priest often ran out of money, Fr Mowbray wrote, and sometimes had nothing with which to pay builders, so he would join the building team himself. “That is why, on the present foundation stone, there is inscribed S. Mahoney, SM, ‘parochus et aedificator’, pastor and builder.”
The church is presumed to be the first gothic style church in the world to be built in reinforced concrete, Fr Mowbray added. It was opened and blessed by Archbishop Redwood on March 26, 1922.
Fr Mowbray asked parishioners to “give thanks for the deep faith and the good works of so many committed men and women who have bequeathed us this church”.
The centenary celebrations began with a Mass of St Peter Chanel on August 12, followed by a talk by Jessie Munro on Venerable Suzanne Aubert. On the Saturday, a Mass of Healing, with Fr John Rea, SM, preaching, was celebrated, and an evening concert honoured the musical tradition of St Mary of the Angels. This concert featured parish choirs, schools, and soloists including Fr Chris Skinner, SM. A slideshow of church and music history was on display. The Centenary Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Paul Martin, SM, on the Sunday, and the dedication of the church as a national shrine took place later that afternoon.
The congregation sings during the Mass
The artwork icon — Ko Hāta Maria, te Matua Wahine o te Atua — Holy Mary, Mother of God — is carried into the church by local college students
Those masks are so stupid.