Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Auckland

Historic church in Auckland, New Zealand

Church in New Zealand

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

St Sepulchre's

Māori: Te Mīhana Māori o Tāmaki Makaurau

Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in 2022

36°51′53″S 174°45′46″E﻿ / ﻿36.864843°S 174.7628507441338°E﻿ / -36.864843; 174.7628507441338
Address| 71 Khyber Pass Road, Grafton, Auckland
Country| New Zealand
Denomination| Anglican
History
Founded| 1880
Founder(s)| Bishop William Cowie
Relics held| Te Take ki Oihi Crozier[1]
Architecture
Architect(s)| E. Mahoney and Son
Architectural type| Church
Style| Gothic Revival
Years built| 1880–1881
Specifications
Materials| Kauri timber
Administration
Province| Aotearoa
Diocese| Te Tai Tokerau
Parish| St Sepulchre’s
Clergy
Archbishop| Don Tamihere
Bishop(s)| Te Kitohi Pikaahu
Vicar(s)| Shona Pink-Martin
Priest(s)|

* Jenny Quince
* Te Karere Scarborough
* Neihana Reihana
* Deb Cole

Deacon(s)|

* Esther & Wilson Chan

Heritage New Zealand – Category 1

Designated| 6 June 2006
Reference no.| 98

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Māori: Te Ana Tapu), commonly known as Holy Sep and St Sepulchre's, is an historic neo-Gothic Anglican church located on Khyber Pass Road, Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand.[2]

Established in 1880 and built to a design from Edward Mahoney, the church is registered as a category 1 building with Heritage New Zealand

## History

[edit]

The original church, now known as Old St Sepulchre's Church, was constructed in 1865 on Symonds Street as an Anglican chapel in the nearby Symonds Street Cemetery.[3][4] Bishop Selwyn opened the church on 27 August 1865 but was never consecrated. Rapid population growth saw a parsonage constructed in 1869 and the following year the church district was made a parish. The Reverend Benjamin Dudley was appointed vicar, a position he held for 36 years. The nave of the church was extended in 1874 so the church could fit more than 400. Shortly after it was decided to build a new church. Old St Sepulchre's was sold in 1903 to Baptists who relocated the church to Mt Eden where it became the Grange Road Baptist Church until 1965 when it became used by St Alban's Boy Scouts.[3]

The foundation stone for the new church was laid in 1880 by Bishop William Cowie, the first Bishop of Auckland.[4] Initially planned to be built in on Symonds Street, it was later decided to build on Khyber Pass Road due to the level of traffic and noise on Symonds Street.[3] The architect was Edward Mahoney of the firm of E. Mahoney and Son, an architecture practice which specialised in designing gothic revival buildings in wood.[5] The site was the top of a large ridge overlooking the parish and beyond and The structure incorporated a steeple that was considered to be the tallest in Auckland.[4]

The timber hall was moved to the Holy Sepulchre site in 1898, to the south of the church. It had been built in 1885 as a temporary place of worship and school for Auckland’s first church, St Paul’s, after their original building had to be demolished. After some modifications for classrooms, a small lean-to kitchen and bathroom, the hall accommodated a Sunday school of 325 children.[4][6]

In the 1930s a Lady Chapel was added to the main building.[4]

The parish was closed in October 1963, and the complex was taken over by the Auckland City Mission, and in 1969 the church became the Auckland Anglican Māori Mission, overseen by the Reverend Kīngi Īhaka, reflecting the movement of Māori from rural to urban centres during the 1950s and 1960s.[4]

In the early 2000s, during Canon Roger Hill’s term as Missioner and church manager, the main church building was fully restored for a cost of $480,000, including recladding the steeple in donated copper.[7]

Holy Sepulchre was used as a location for New Zealand's first Māori language full-length feature film The Maori Merchant of Venice in 2001.[4]

On 4 July 2009 the church hall was refurbished and rededicated as a marae and named Tātai Hono, which means ‘bound together’. The refurbishments included new entrance whakairo by Bernard Makoare, community tukutuku panels and paintings by Theresa Reihana.[4][6]

On 28 May 2023, Rev'd Shona Pink-Martin was inducted as Māori Missioner, Te Mīhana Māori o Tāmaki Makaurau.[8]

## Gallery

[edit]

* St Sepulchre's in the Anglican section of the Symonds Street Cemetery, circa 1865.

* The north and west faces of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on the corner of Burleigh Street and Khyber Pass, 1910.

* Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Khyber Pass Road, 2009.

* Lady Chapel stained glass window, commissioned in 2004. A wahine (Māori woman) draped in a korowai with pounamu cross necklace holding a bible, framed by Luke 1:46-47. Below her are crests of Te Pīhopatanga o Te Tai Tokerau. Above her are doves.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "The gift that keeps on giving". Anglican Church in Aotearoa, NZ and Polynesia. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
2. ^ "The Church of the Holy Sepulchre". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand (Auckland Provincial District). Christchurch: Cyclopedia Company Limited. 1902. Retrieved 5 October 2023 - via Victoria University of Wellington.
3. ^ a b c Knight, Cyril Roy (1972). The Selwyn churches of Auckland. Reed. pp. 60–61.60-61&rft.pub=Reed&rft.date=1972&rft.aulast=Knight&rft.aufirst=Cyril+Roy&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Church+of+the+Holy+Sepulchre,+Auckland" class="Z3988">
4. ^ a b c d e f g h "Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Hall". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
5. ^ Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Mahoney, Edward and Mahoney, Thomas". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
6. ^ a b "Tatai Hono: tying us together". Anglican Church in Aotearoa, NZ and Polynesia. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
7. ^ "Church's past splendour to be revived". NZ Herald. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
8. ^ Service of Induction of The Rev'd. Shona Pink-Martin as the Māori Missioner, Te Mīhana Māori o Tāmaki Makaurau booklet, Te Pihopatanga o Te Tai Tokerau, 28 May 2023

## External links

[edit]

Media related to Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Auckland at Wikimedia Commons

* Official website

* v
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Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia

A list of all the Anglican dioceses, Te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa, churches and cathedrals in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia

Aotearoa, New Zealand

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* Auckland
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Churches|

* Holy Sepulchre, Auckland
* St John the Evangelist, Auckland
* St Matthew's, Auckland
* St Paul's, Auckland
* St Stephen's, Auckland
* St Saviour's
* Christ's College
* St Michael and All Angels, Christchurch
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* St John the Evangelist, Westport

Educational institutions|

* St John's College, Auckland theological college)

* Cathedral Grammar
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* Huntley
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Former churches
and cathedrals|

* Holy Trinity Avonside
* ChristChurch, Christchurch
* Good Shepherd, Christchurch
* St Luke's, Christchurch
* St John the Baptist, Christchurch
* St John's, Hororata
* St Martin's at St Chad's

Tikanga Pasefika

* Diocese of Polynesia

Christianity portal

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Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand

Facilities|

* Auckland Business Chamber
* Auckland City Hospital
* Starship Hospital
* Auckland Domain
* Church of the Holy Sepulchre
* Kāhui St David's
* The Mind Lab
* St Peter's College
* Symonds Street Cemetery
* University of Auckland
* Elam School of Fine Arts
* Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences

Geographic features|

* Grafton Gully
* Grafton Volcano

Infrastructure|

* Boston Road railway station (former)
* Grafton Bridge
* Grafton railway station
* Khyber Pass Road
* Symonds Street

Government|

* Auckland Council
* Waitematā Local Board
* Waitematā and Gulf ward
* Auckland City Council (defunct)

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