A Restoration Project: Church of the Immaculate Conception Pakipaki 1880

OVERVIEW

The Church of the Immaculate Conception was built in 1880 under the auspices of the rangatira Urupene Puhara, The Venerable Suzanne Aubert and Father Christophe Soulas of the Society of Mary.

The church served the Catholic Maori Mission until the 1960s when it was moved from its original site to where it currently stands today, on the corner of Miriama Rd Pakipaki.

On the original site of the church, a new building was erected, taking the name of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, which was consecrated on the 28th April 1968.

57 years later, the time has now come to restore the 1880 church to its former glory with a restoration project and listing as a heritage building for the posterity of the Catholic Maori Mission of Hawke’s Bay the hapu of Pakipaki and for all New Zealanders to visit and enjoy.

PAKIPAKI:The full name for the village is Te Pakipakitanga-o-Hinetemoa, a whakatauki proverb that tells the story of the Chieftainess Hinetemoa (c.1600) who is said to have been interrupted while bathing and protected her modesty through the quick gathering of her rāpaki waist garment, wrapping it around her body.

THE NAME OF THE CHURCH: The name is the Church of the Immaculate Conception built in 1880 for the Catholic Māori Mission based at Pakipaki, Hawke’s Bay. The Church of the Immaculate Conception was deconsecrated and moved in 1967 to make way for a new church building which holds the name Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception consecrated on the 28th April 1968 and designed by the architect John Scott.

NOVEMBER 2014 the Sister's of Compassion, The Venerable Suzanne Aubert's order founded in Jerusalem on the Whanganui River in 1892 now based in Island Bay Wellington, visited Pakipaki and the Restoration Project was set in motion. Work toward the restoration of the building started in 2014, a Trust was created in 2016, our Charitable status was achieved in 2017 and this year 2018 we have an application in to list the building with Heritage NZ for a Category 1 status and we are starting our Fundraising Drive here on this our Give a Little page. In this first phase we are hoping to raise 20K. This 20K will allow us to have a Conservation Plan carried out by the historical architect Chris Cochran of Wellington NZ, an assessment that will inform us of the cost and the work that will need to be carried out and achieve the first phase of our aspiration.

We invite you, New Zealand, to be a part of the restoration of our taonga/treasure with us.

Nga mihi nui ki a kotou katoa. Pakipaki Whare Karakia Charitable Trust