Nearly two years after a group of Martinborough’s Catholics forced the national church’s overseers to rescind an order issued by Rome for “deconsecration” of St Anthony of Padua church in the town, it remains closed. Mostly.
On 23 April its doors opened and its freshly-cleaned interior was the setting for the celebration of Centenarian Yvonne Riddiford’s 100th birthday.
This was seen by some as a special dispensation for the event, by others an indication the classical concrete structure can still be saved – despite its earthquake strengthening issues.
In early 2023, the church hierarchy in Wellington advised it should be permanently closed and its furnishings used in Featherston and Masterton, where future services were to be held.
In a letter at the time, Wellington Archbishop Paul Martin made clear the building would not be strengthened and should be permanently closed.
When hearing of the deconsecration bid, locals went direct to the Vatican, writing to Luis Cardinal Tagle – currently being suggested as a possible replacement for the late Pope Francis.
The parishioners penned a legal challenge to Wellington Cardinal John Dew’s request to Rome for a “Decree of Deconsecration and Reduction to Profane but Not Sordid Use,” in Catholic Church legalise.
The locals’ challenge was two-fold: under church Canon Law, and that the New Zealand Catholic Church likely did not own title to the land and building – financed and built by local families without church input after the original church burnt down early last century.
Parishioner Dan Riddiford wrote the legal challenge, adding the “the earthquake risk of the Church … can be affordably fixed, but we in Martinborough were never given the opportunity to organise and pay for that.”
Under current earthquake strengthening requirements, St Anthony’s could continue holding Mass, weddings, funerals and other services until 2033 without remedial work.
