Verena Kirk

Verena gave us this pen picture, after some prompting we might add!

"This Old Timer feels she has been in this Parish forever - well, if 55 years is 'forever'!
Born in Switzerland, I sailed to New Zealand on an old Italian freight ship that was scuttled soon after my six week- odyssey (which,believe it or not, I actually thoroughly enjoyed, being a totally naive 19 year old).

My intention was to work in NZ only long enough to save enough to travel to China - my childhood dream spawned by books by Pearl S Buck and other idealists. However Joe McCarthy's American obsession with Communism (Reds-under-the-beds-syndrome) put a stop to any China dreams. I was threatened by the local Aliens' Office., (Yes, I was classified as an "Alien"!) that I would be blacklisted in Britain and any Commonwealth country and would never again be admitted to any of them if I persisted in going to China.

So I went to Japan instead where I worked as Governess to two Jewish children for two and a half years. This interlude gave me time to consider returning to NZ and marrying Warren whom I had met there earlier.

We were only the second couple to be married in the tiny Catholic Church in Browns Bay, by Fr. Pierce, the first Parish Priest, (of whom I have many happy memories). All our five daughters were baptised there and our eldest daughter married there. They all attended St john's School where Heidi, our eldest daughter was a foundation pupil. My husband was an active helper in building the school hall and though being Presbyterian, he supported our church in every way until he died 24 years ago.

The rest is history..................."

A Parish scribe continues......

"and that history involves Verena still being very active in this Parish. Visiting the sick, taking Communion to rest homes, being active in Rosary Group, Devine Mercy, Wednesday Adoration, Minister of the Word, Minister of Communion, Lay Leader for Liturgy of the Word on Thursdays and always willing to quietly take on any extra tasks we ask of her.

Always seeking new information about Church and God Verena is a very valuable member of this Parish."

Jo Drum - Our Parish Secretary

I was born a long time ago in Timaru, the 6^th child of  9

Schooled in HawkesBay and Hamilton

Worked in Northland and Whangarei and seasonally in the South Island

Married Vin in 1973

Two sons, one an Engineer working now in NZ and baby son a Lance Corporal in Army and a daughter an Early Childhood teacher who is married with one son Sean  now 8 months old  whose Baptism we are celebrating (see photos)

I have been a volunteer in this parish for 37 years but..have been employed since 1996 as Parish Secretary replacing Pam O’Carroll  who had been in the job for about the same number of years? Must be good place to work eh?

We have a sign up on the wall which reads “ Interruptions are our main work.”  We have so many volunteers to help in this office and in the Parish it would be very hard to quantify that in terms of dollars. Its very humbling to be involved with so many really good and faith filled people but saddening too in a way to see so many of these good people are in the ‘very mature’ age bracket and scary to think about what will happen when they go!

But we also have another sign in the office which reads “God doesn’t call the qualified he qualifies the called.” And so we leave that in the hands of the Holy Spirit for the future. 

As you can see from the photo to the right – I really enjoy tramping – with a group of parishioner we do one BIG tramp a year having this year completed a four day Gisborne experience. It was a little different from some we have experienced in the past in that we only took day packs each day and came back to the same bed and a hot shower each night. – We are trialing this out of respect for some of us who are getting on a bit!

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Pat & Margaret Knell

Pat & Margaret are wonderful servants in the Lord’s house, they are now taking a very well earned retirement from banking duties. Pat wrote the following thoughts:

“Have been wondering how long we have been doing the banking and etc. and believe it could now be close to 20 years. Took over from Jack & Peg Barr about 2 years before Peg died with Jack following on shortly afterwards. I have been retired for 22 years and was only a year or so after this that we were asked to help. I remember I knew little about computers but Fr. Paddy Collins was the expert and we used to use his computer to list all of the contributions with a doss based system. All this somewhat before the “flash” Parish Data system Fr. Marcel introduced. Also before auto payments and there were heaps of envelopes which were balanced off separately. A piece of cake now to what it used to be and working in the old cold dingy room at the Presbytery was not very pleasant. Your newer workers will have even more to look forward to when you develop your new office/presbytery set up!!.”

Pat & Margaret at their recent "Thank You" morning tea.



Handing over the 'Reigns of Office'



With those attending.