One hundred years after a parish priest expressed concerns that plans for it were too ambitious, the Sacred Heart Basilica in Timaru has celebrated its centenary.
The celebrations, which took up much of the weekend, culminated with a 90-minute mass on Sunday morning which saw the church packed out with hundreds of attendees, including numerous out-of-town visitors.
Church representatives including Bishop Barry Jones of Christchurch, retired Bishop of Dunedin Len Boyle and Wellington-based Archbishop Charles Balvo, the apostolic nuncio to New Zealand, attended the celebrations.
Following a mass on Saturday morning, where the Angelo Singers from Roncalli College performed, about 200 people attended the centennial dinner and launch of a book on the history of the basilica on Saturday night at the Roncalli College gymnasium.
Source
- The Timaru Herald
- Image: Panorama
