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Auckland’s Catholic diocese has bought a landmark Auckland winery famous for its summer music concerts.
At a time when many parish churches are closing, the diocese is bucking the trend: it bought the 6.23ha Ascension Wine Estate for a new church and community centre.
The parish and diocese have been looking for the better part of 20 years, says Auckland diocese’s general manager, James van Schie.
“We have looked at lots of different sites. Some have been too big or too contoured or in the wrong place or too expensive. This one [near Warkwoth] looks right for us.”
New church for the site
Van Schie says once all the paperwork is done, Warkworth’s Holy Name parish will take over the site. It plans converting the winery’s function centre into a church.
The space and aesthetics of the existing Italian-style building on the Ascension site meant a new church could be up and running quickly, van Schie says.
“The architecture has a familiar and aesthetic appeal for us. Beauty is an important part of life but it doesn’t mean that it has to always have an Italian or Mediterranean feel in the future.
“Our church is increasingly multicultural, increasingly strengthened by the dynamism of Asia and the Pacific.
“So what the future will look like is really open to the creativity of the community.”
Van Schie says there will be consultation on what people would like to see on the site, including what happens to the wine-making facilities.
“We don’t have any intention to make wine at this stage, but you know Catholics have been involved in brewing beer and making wine for some time.”
Due diligence, consultation
Right now, there’s a lot to be done before The Holy Name parish can start work.
“We are still in the due diligence period” van Schie says.
“We haven’t gone unconditional. We’re excited by the opportunity but we are just working through the finishing touches of community consultation and our own due diligence.”
Longer-term, the diocese may see demand for schools for the area, van Schie predicts.
Just at the moment though, the population isn’t big enough to support a typical 250-300 pupil school.
However, van Schie noted that although the diocese’s newest school (St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College in Drury) opened last year, the diocese acquired the land for it in the late 1990s.
The diocese had pegged west Auckland as the next growing part of the city, he says.
A year or two ago it acquired a 10-hectare site in Huapai, with a long-term view to building another “Ormiston-style” development of church, parish centre and schools.
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