TAYLOR Alison (nee Macartney)
I arrived at St George’s Parish in 1976, having come home to New Zealand with
my then, non Catholic Australian husband, and our children from Melbourne. Our first rented house was next door to long time parishioner and McManus family member, Noeline Shearer. An almost immediate need for a medical practitioner, meant Noeline’s sister Mary Davey- the doctors receptionist- became well known, along with her brother Bernie McManus and his wife Leonie who were living with Mrs McManus senior just around the corner, followed by Leonie’s sister Lynne Gillanders and the nee McDermott sisters Margaret Allen – my neighbour - and Angela Wrench
One St. Joseph’s Sister remained at the school and left within days of my arrival
and after my return from Taranaki when a rental house became vacant, former Parish Priest Father Peter Gray arrived by bicycle at my friend Margaret Allen’s
to say goodbye to her before leaving for Auckland the following day.
Father Maurice Drumm was then Parish Priest, who owned a beautiful collection of religious art, two beautifully restored busts of Our Lady and Jesus on the presbytery mantelpiece, some inspirational posters – “ Ïf you do not understand My silence, you will not understand My words “ long before pieces of philosophy became a fashionable secular décor item - and an impressive knowledge and appreciation of religious and classical music. He was responsible for the elegant baptismal font with its copper lid still a feature in the church. It seems a fitting memorial to him. His wonderful sense of humour was also reflected above the presbytery front door with a newspaper heading he had carefully edited with scissors to read POPE DRUMM. (from “Pope Drummed up Support for…) He was instigator of several catechetical programmes which I usually attended with a parent of children older than mine, and some Days of
Recollection held in St George’s Church.
A youth group meeting in which Fr Burgess, a White Fathers Priest (I think the only priest of that order in New Zealand, - and writer of some very insightful articles on faith in Zealandia) from Pio Pio , took the group for martial arts was memorable one evening when he drove over the edge of the roadside bank outside the church and see - sawed above the footpath until Jim Lynch and others managed to get him back on to safe ground.
Father Anselm Aherne MHM came next, remembered for his announcement that he had moved into the Convent but had not yet taken the veil! (Reference to the
move to the empty convent and change to rental accommodation for the old presbytery) His frequent home visits while my husband moved through a progressive illness were highlights in Geoff’s life and on one such visit Father asserted cheerfully that there was a new church in Te Kuiti. At the end of a list of the usual denominations, he added ‘The Nil Church” to which my beloved shot me a guilty/ pleading glance! From then on, I noticed that every hospital admission form had changed from ‘Nil’ to “Honorary Catholic” against the religion query (until
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years later when Father Scott - the then Waikato Hospital chaplain - harvested the seed and changed Honorary to Actual). The presbytery teapot, coffee jar and porridge pot were always waiting for weekday and Sunday Mass goers to activate while Father rushed around, swallowed his tea before tearing off to wherever - leaving us to finish our tea and clear up the kitchen. Kids adored him and willingly bowled tennis balls for him to bat right left and centre. He also organized a series of ‘ Pre Confirmation catechetical studies’ for candidates - Msgr Duggan taking the Sacrament of Marriage component, a series of correspondence lessons for children in local state schools and for the latter to be included in the annual senior school Retreat day at the Passionist Monastery.
We also first learned that St George’s was actually named after the European well known St George - not the English patron saint - by either a Dutch or
German MHM priest.
During this period I became a volunteer secretary each Thursday morning which enabled Father to spend the day in Benneydale and surrounding areas visiting parishioners out there. Part of the list of tasks left for me, was to list alphabetically with year of entry, a ready reference from the parish baptismal/marriage/death registers to more quickly locate the name/s of past parishioners for the increasing number of geneology enthusiasts looking for ancestor certificates.
At some stage I began as assistant to Nan Higgins who was the long term newsletter compiler and printer on a then modern electric typewriter and Gestetner.
Father Burke is firmly fixed in memory as the relieving priest who announced that he had arrived back in his Palmerston North diocese to find that Bishop Cullinane had ‘loaned’ him to Waikato and us while Father Aherne was on holiday in Ireland. In one of his most memorable sermons, he described being sent by a parishioner to visit a lapsed Catholic patient who greeted him without enthusiasm and a terse “Who sent you?” to which he said in reply - “Madam. I don’t care whether you’re bound for Heaven or Hell. Either way, I’ll help you get there.”
We all laughed but I’m not sure he meant it as a joke!
Father Sean O’Brien MHM gave every family the task of highlighting Our Lady’s altar for a Marian year creating some consternation initially until many of us saw what an excellent lesson it was in highlighting every individuals effort as well as the variety of talents in our parish. For my family, he was a tower of strength during the worst period of our lives. After telling us that he would fit into whatever funeral plans we made, which he did, I later discovered that he had cut short a once every five or seven year Mill Hill Fathers’ get together - which included one of his brothers – held in Auckland, New Zealand that year to come back for our son’,s requiem.
Father Peter Flannery MHM followed, impressing my husband with his knowledge of cricket. He also unwittingly supported my decision to learn to drive what had always been termed ‘our’ car . Geoff was telling Father from a hospital bed that ‘his’ car was too powerful for me to handle. Father said that he thought
a person should learn to drive the car they expected to be driving!
Father was parish priest when Sr Frances Remnant SMSM came home on leave from her Order to care for first her father Norm before he died a few weeks later and then her mother Margareta until her death a few years later. The parish benefited from her organization of the music files and OHPs , gifted singing voice and talented skill as organist.
Marist fathers - Fathers Paddy Kinsella, and Hemi Hekiara with Brother Pius, and later Father Carde - all capably assisted by Sister Frances Anna Remnant SMSM ( until her return to her mission order after her mother Margareta’s death.) in recent years preceded our parish’s return to Diocesan priests with currently Father Eammon Kennedy at the helm of St George’s.
Parish Mission/Retreat/Days of Recollection
Parish weekend Retreats were biannual at the Passionist Monastery which by common consent were left to Bernie McManus to organize transport, find at least ten of us, and then liaise with the Passionist Fathers. I don’t recall the name of the first Retreat Director when I first attended, though the other parishioners knew him well, but the years that I attended Fathers Vianney, Gerald, and Tony
remain fine examples of holiness.
On two memorable occasions there, I observed Bishop Gaines - who I later learned was making his own private retreat – as just another humble priest unaware that he could be seen from my upstairs vantage point -on his knees in front of the outdoor grotto and Stations of the Cross, and on another early morning visit to the chapel found him alone in front of the tabernacle. Our parish was usually joined by Taumarunui and three or four other diocesan parishes, depending on numbers, and the whole retreat experiences were sources of spiritual and contemplative renewal, with opportunity to put new perspectives on whatever ongoing personal life situations were current at the time. I always came home with batteries recharged. Non attendees may have been startled to note Mrs Kath Flaherty”s two seriously black eyes and bruised cheek on our return one year, after she had tripped in the dining room and struck her face against the breakfast table leg before being almost forcibly taken by Father Gerald to the nearest doctor - still protesting that a bit of butter would fix it!
Passionist Priests Father Vianney conducted a week long mission in St George’s once and Father Gerald at least two Days of Recollection in the church organized by Catholic Women’s League.
Catholic Womens League
As someone new to the parish and to Te Kuiti in general, this was a great introduction to parishioners and practical needs in the church and wider parish. As a new member I saw my name added to those past and present members , mine embroidered by Eileen Burton onto the blue and white League tablecloth. It always graced the small table in the presbytery lounge for meetings beneath the little statue of Our Lady and candle. Members comprised a wide range of age and
experience as probable founders of League in Te Kuiti. Some of the older women were the mothers of present parishioners. Somewhere along the way I found myself Secretary.
Amongst some of the many League outreach to parishioners, the annual Christmas visits to the elderly, saw Clare Kyle and I allotted Mrs Kearney whose daughter Mary owned two large Doberman dogs. As we approached the gate bearing the League gift, one of the dogs bounded towards us. Clare bravely thrust the gift into the letterbox while I cravenly shot into the safety of the car. Later, after recounting this anecdote to Father Aherne and hearing his assertion that it was a very friendly dog, Clare retorted that the difference was that he was always carrying the Host!
The array of activities organized and activated by members were awesome – hospital and home visits, presbytery spring cleaning annually, mission support – both with op shop and later street cake stalls post, sacramental programme catering, spiritual programmes - Marian Mothers study/discussion sheets, - submissions to a variety of government/organizations/church, inter denominational local social
contact to name just some and I soon found myself on rosters for church cleaning and flowers and pledge counting. .I think someone told me that League instituted
Monday evening Rosary, led by Clare Kyle, which I first attended with Margaret Allen (nee Mc Dermot) I loved being part of the little group which included Clare’s father Ray Perkins, Bill and Madeleine Churstain, Celia Davenport, Tewai Goldsmith, Amalia White, Bernie McManus, Kath Flaherty Lynne Gillanders and others whose names now escape me - all now long deceased or moved away - as well as those parishioners still part of St. George’s - Pauline Hayes and Ngaire Grayson . I was sorry that moves to earlier times clashed with work and I was obliged to miss before Rosary ceased a few short years ago. Clare’s devotion to Rosary - along with her unseen effort to produce a gleaming finish to the church brass before Christmas and Easter - throughout the years was both inspiring and legendary .
Once CWL older members had either died or become too frail to continue, we found ourselves too short in number to continue, and I voted with those who decided to put the group into recess.. Later Margaret Kelly coerced me to join her as a member of Otorohanga CWL and then even later to become a foundation Lone League member in the Diocesan CWL. It was after one of these meetings that a male pro abortion person ‘s rant was silenced by Margaret’s “What a pity your mother didn’t abort you!” I enjoyed making an art contribution to the new banner with a Rosary theme - separate beads all linked by the same faith chain and later a patch for the Diocesan League members quilt which now hangs in the cathedral.
Pope John Paul 2 Visit
Names drawn to take active roles at the Papal Mass in Auckland included my daughter and her confirmation sponsor Wai Goldsmith. The hired bus to take us to Auckland was made memorable with Bruce Benefield’s singing and humourous remarks. Lynne Gillanders and I have indelible memories of the reverence of the huge crowd throughout the Mass. Stories of past Rosary crusades and visits to
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Auckland Diocese as recounted by the older parishioners should have been recorded!
First Maori Priest Ordination in Diocese. Father Bennett
Wai Goldsmith and I attended with Father Aherne. Wai and Father had a cashless bet as to which was the shortest route to Rotorua from Te Kuiti resulting in a
trip utilizing both alternatives to decide the winner. A huge crowd attended the reverent outdoor Mass, then impressive catering skills evident later with everyone seated at tables. . An “army “ then distributed hot food to the tables before the call to stand for grace led by Bishop Gaines and the multitude then eating together.!
A Walk By Faith group organized by then parishioner Cherry Wills as a practical part of her course preceded Diocesan Renew groups held in individual homes. Parishioners in Cherry’s group were an assortment of parishioners in which I filled the long term convert label. Father Burke attended once and was memorable for his likening of the mood candle in the darkened lounge room to a séance!
Another memorable part of that programme was of Sibyl Iremonger’s reception into the church.
Our first Renew group was held at Heather Penny’s each week with Ngaire Grayson as our leader.
More recently, a Proud to be a Catholic study group hosted by Katherine and Pat Fahey was part of another Diocesan initiative in which our parishioners have participated.
Being part of St George’s Parish, has been, and remains, an important part of my life. There have been, and still are some saints here, who have made not just my life, but that of many others over the years, so much brighter by their faith and care.