St Therese's Bethlehem - CathNews New Zealand https://cathnews.co.nz Catholic News New Zealand Mon, 29 Aug 2016 23:50:36 +0000 en-NZ hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://cathnews.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cropped-cathnewsfavicon-32x32.jpg St Therese's Bethlehem - CathNews New Zealand https://cathnews.co.nz 32 32 70145804 Chapel rises out of the ashes in the Bay of Plenty https://cathnews.co.nz/2016/08/30/chapel-rises-ashes/ Mon, 29 Aug 2016 17:01:27 +0000 http://cathnews.co.nz/?p=86310

St Theresa's Chapel at Bethlehem has risen from the ashes of a fire which destroyed the old Catholic church two years ago. A big community celebration took place on Sunday place when Bishop Steve Lowe opened the new $400,000 chapel. Look at photos on Facebook Sited next to Hangarau Marae, the chapel's simple lines are Read more

Chapel rises out of the ashes in the Bay of Plenty... Read more]]> St Theresa's Chapel at Bethlehem has risen from the ashes of a fire which destroyed the old Catholic church two years ago.

A big community celebration took place on Sunday place when Bishop Steve Lowe opened the new $400,000 chapel.

Look at photos on Facebook

Sited next to Hangarau Marae, the chapel's simple lines are based on a traditional Maori wharenui or meeting house.

Parish priest Father Mark Field said locals were delighted with the chapel.

The Church includes a feature window at the sanctuary end so the congregation could enjoy lovely views across the harbour and the donation of a contemporary Madonna and child.

Painted by Bonnie Casey the new painting is significant because the original painting of a Maori Madonna and child was destroyed in the 2014 fire.

Field said police never found the perpetrator of the fire.

Who ever it was removed the vestments and chalice from the church and left them on the grass outside, he told the NZ Herald.

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Chapel rises out of the ashes in the Bay of Plenty]]> 86310 Bay of Plenty Church destroyed by fire https://cathnews.co.nz/2014/02/11/bay-plenty-church-destroyed-fire/ Mon, 10 Feb 2014 18:30:44 +0000 http://cathnews.co.nz/?p=54175

Members of St Therese's Catholic church in Bethlehem, in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, are grieving the loss of the church, which burnt down in suspicious circumstances. The blaze tore through the building late last Thursday night and police and the fire service are investigating its cause. Erana and Peter Bidois were watching a Read more

Bay of Plenty Church destroyed by fire... Read more]]> Members of St Therese's Catholic church in Bethlehem, in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, are grieving the loss of the church, which burnt down in suspicious circumstances.

The blaze tore through the building late last Thursday night and police and the fire service are investigating its cause.

Erana and Peter Bidois were watching a movie at a relative's house opposite the building when they noticed an orange flame coming from one of the windows about 11pm.

"Within seconds the whole thing just went up in flames. The heat from it was just crazy," Mrs Bidois said.

"It was silent but all you could hear was just popping, the windows popping.

"It was huge. The whole thing just looked like a ball of fire."

The Maori carvings and all the Maori taonga in the building have been destroyed there

Local kaumatua Karora Smith said the community was still coming to terms with the loss.

It was not just the church community but the wider community who used the building that would be affected, he said.

Mr Smith said the chapel was built about 40 years ago when the congregation outgrew the small church building at the marae.

Tauranga Police CIB Detective Caroyln Crawford confirmed police are treating the fire as suspicious and have scene guards in places as detectives investigate the area.

Carolyn says police investigating the cause of the fire are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen any suspicious people or vehicles in the area at the time.

Anyone with information is to contact Tauranga police on 07 577 4300 or anonymously on 0800 Crimestoppers and quote file number 140207/5050.

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Bay of Plenty Church destroyed by fire]]> 54175