St Patrick’s, Wainuiomata
In 1946 Fr BM Keegan was appointed Parish Priest for Waiwhetu and Wainuiomata. A local parishioner drove him around to meet the local Catholics and they had their first Mass in the Old Town Hall with a crowd of 12. So was sown the seed of Christianity in Wainuiomata.
Various public halls were the venue for Masses and celebrations for a few years to come. In 1951 ten sections of land were purchased and cleared by local Catholics and a hall with a sliding door to an altar was built in 1953.
Wainuiomata was recognised as its own Parish by Archbishop McKeefry in 1959 with a dry note from the Archbishop that the priests should “have no difficulties in defining parish boundaries”. The first parish priest was Fr Peter McGlynn. His Irish heritage and that of a few parishioners made the naming decision of St Patrick’s a unanimous one.
The school was completed in 1965 and was run by the Sisters of Jesus and Mary.
For earthquake safety the church was rebuilt in 2018 and presently the hall is being rebuilt.