GOLDEN JUBILEE OF CHURCH

Lake County Mail, Issue 46, 21 April 1948, Page 1

GOLDEN JUBILEE OF CHURCH

Celebrated by Queenstown’s Catholic Community

It started 50 years ago. . , February 23, 1897 to be exact. It was on that day that a bishop from Dunedin; the Most Rev. Dr Verdon visited the Lakes District to administer the sacrament of confirmation and his Lordship impressed upon the congregation the necessitv of building a church to serve the needs of the community.

Little time was lost, and, under the direction of the pastor, Rev. Father John O’Donnell, local Catholic farmers quarried local stone and with their horses and drays transported it to the site of the church. On October 3, 1897, the foundation stone was laid the present church of St. Joseph’s. The building progressed quickly and the facings were done with Oamaru stone. On May 29, 1898, Bishop Verdon, assisted by Father O’Donnell and Dean Burke, Invercargill, conducted the opening ceremony of the new church. For nearly 20 years prior to this day,

Catholics carried on their devotions in a small church which was located in Church street. Many old parishioners of St. Joseph’s as well as local and district Catholics foregathered on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday of last week to celebrate the Golden Jubilee. Among them was Mr Lawrence J. Lynch, one of the oldest members of the congregation and the only survivor residing in the parish who took part in the foundation work of the church. A number of the Dominican sisters including past teachers and pupils were also present.