CHURCH OF ST. JOSEPH, TEMUKA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 362, 12 March 1881, Page 2

CHURCH OF ST. JOSEPH, TEMUKA.

For pome little while past a religious edifice has been gradually. raised in our midst, of whioh persons of all denominations residing in the district must be justly proud, and although our Roman Catholic brethren have boine off the palm in this respect, yet it will but act as an inceative to the religious bodies to outvie tieir neighbors; for we must say that alongside of such a noble structure the otier churches in the district must pass hto the shade. The subject of our present remarks is the Roman Catholic Cliurth, which will shortly be dedicated to St Joseph, and fronting on Wilkinsonstra<t m this township, Tie wooden edifice on the opposite aide of tie street having been found to be too smill for the requirements of the congregaion, the question was mooted on the Is September, 1878, as to the advisability o,' erecting a larger church, as it was fmnd to be an almost impossibility to enlrge the present one. Promises of supiort were freely given, *and the Rev. father Fauvelentered heart and soul into the project. Amongst the«e promise* ,

which were afterwards carried out in their j strictest integrity, it may be mentioned that Mr T. Collett supplied the stone for the walls and tower, which was taken from his property situate on the banks Of the Opihi, about ten miles from Temuka, whi-st others have defrayed the cost of carting the same, and al3o given their labor free of chnrge. The stone for the spire was. procured from, Oamaru. When it was considered that the project had properly matured, the plana of Mr Henry Evans, architect of for a Gothic stone church, were accepted for the new edifice, which, had the material and, labor to have b";en paid foF, would have cost £600& The ground on which St. Joseph's Churchis eiiected is. two acres in extent, and in the future it is intended that the residence for the officiating- clergy shall be also bnilt thereon. As we before stated (he church fronts on Wilkinson-street, »-at»ance to the ground being obtained by meausuf at large gate in the centre, and a smaller one oa either side. The pathway—l2ft in width, —from the gates to the entrance of thechurch will be asphalted, as well as afootway around the building, sft in width. Entrance to the church is effected by means of a dcorway on the ground floor of the tower leading to the vestibule. We : will give a description of the tower further on. Proceeding onward through another doorway, the church itself is entered, the length of which is 100 ft by 40ft in width ; the total length of the building outside, including the tower, being 117 ft 6in. The height of the interior walls is 2Gft, and the ceiling is curved. There will be six ornamentations in the ceilings the centres of which will be perforated for ventilating purposes. All the windows in, the church will be of stained glass,, obtained from Lyons, in Prance. Those of the sanctuary will represent, in the centre, Our Lord teaching, with the Virgin Mary on the right, and St. Joseph, with the infant Jesus, on the left. There are on either side of the church seven double windows. In the first, on the right hand side, will be representations of St. Michael and St. David, the prophet; in the* second will be those of St. Joseph and St. John the Baptist; in the third, St. Peter and St. Paul;, the fourth, St. John, the Evangelist, and St. Francis, of Assisium; the fifth, St. Patrick and St.Thomas, of Aquinato; the sixth, St. Alphonsus,of Liquori, and St. Isidore, the farmer; and the seventh, St. Tobias and St. Raphael, the Arehangel. The first window on the left will represent j the Mystery of ths Incarnation of Our Lord, or the Archangel Gabiiel appearing to the Blessed Virgin Mary and announcing to her that she had; been chosen tor become the Mother of Our Redeemer ; the second', that of St. Anne uad St. Elizabeth ; the third, St. Mary Magdelene and St. Agnes ; the fourth, St. Bridget and St. Catherine ; the fifth, St. Margaret and St. Rose, of Lima; the sixth, St. Teresa and St. Gexn.ana; the seventh, St. Frances and ; the Angel Guardian* Each double win- ! dow is 12ft in height and ih in width. On the left-hand side of the sanctuary there will ba a sacristy 16ft by lift, and on the right a library of similar dimensions, entrance being gained to both by means of doors at the eastern aide of the building. In front of these, and faeing the congregation, will be the lesser altars, with a statue of St. Joseph on the right and of the Virgin Mary on the left The Communion rails in front of the principal altar will be of iron, cast in Sydney. There- will be three aisles, with two rows of pews, capable of holding §OO persons, and with the gallery—21ft by 12ft —over the main «ntrance, there will be accommodation on extraordinary occasions for about 1000 persons. Two entrances, one on either side, will give free ingress and egress to and from the Church.

The height of the tower proper is 62ft, and is 12ft square in the interior, and the total height to the top of th& cross on the spire, 120 ft. The height of the cross is sft 6in, and it is 3ft wide at the arms. Tnere will be three floors inside the tower, approached by a staircase, the top one being devoted for the ■erection of the machinery appertaining to the proposed town clock, the dials of which will be placed in the masonry above the lancet windows. There will be three bells placed in the tower, cast in the celebrated Meneelay Foundry, New York. Besides being used for their legitimate purpose—that of calling woishippers together for Divine Service—they will be utilised, the larger one 'for striking the hours and the lesser ones the quarters. A lightning conductor is connected with the top of the cross, and fixed to the side wall, running to the ground. Each of the floors is lighted by means of double and rose windows. Pinnacles surmount the fouf corners at the top of the tower, each 14ft in height, and those at each corner of the building are lift. On either aide of the walls are eight supporting buttresses. At the top of the wall at the eastern end, the present will shortly be removed, and in its place there will be a statue of the Virgin in bronze gilt, 6ft in height. The roof is covered with galvanised corrugated iron. The foundation stone of the edifice was laid op the 16th November, 1879, by his Lordshin the Right Rev. l>r Redwood, Roman Catholic Bishop of Wellington, amistod by the Rev. Father Fauvel, Rector of Temuka, and the Rev. Father Cba-

taignier, Rector of Timaru, with the usual ceremony appertaining to such important occasions. Since that period, the contractors'' for the stonework Mesara Findlay and Riley, of Christchurch—have faithfully carried out their contract, and at the present time the building is in the hands of Mr James Delaney, the successful tenderer for the carpentering,* and Mr B. H. Carter, for the plastering work, who also are pushing on their contract's aa fast as possible. Mr James Sullivan, of Timaru, rendered important service dur-> ing the progress of the first part' of the work, acting as supet visor, But at the present time tlie Rev. Father Fauvel has undertaken that office.

As soon as the new church is completed and opened for Divine Service, the present one will be c onverted into a school, being ; partitioned <fF for that purpose, one side being allotted for boys and the otherfor girls.

In concluding oiir article for the present on this subject, we must congratulate the Roman Catholics of the district in possessing so tine a property, and which must necessarily enhance the value of. the surrounding buildings. The Rev. father -Fauvel has -been Pastor to the Roman Catholic congregar tion for the l»st four years, during wtiithperiod he has endetrcd himself, not only to those of his own fioek, but also to rtembers of other religious denominations, and we trust he will remain a long while among3t us to conduct services in the Church of which he baa been the main spring and founder.