Marshland Catholic Church

October 2017

"The closeness of the early settlers community came through in all aspects of life – one being the faith and the church. Catholicism however, was not easy in religiously intolerant New Zealand in those days. Few continental Europeans, like those from Prussia (Poland territory), were among those struggling to maintain their strong catholic roots. Until the Marshland Church was opened in 1927 the priests would come out from St Mary's and Barbadoes St and say Mass. The Church was freehold; some settlers, like Matt Szymanski, gave the land; Jack Boloski and Jack Blackburn 'waded in' and saw that everything was paid for. Everyone in Marshland knew everyone and the Church was 'OURS". It was a community of 'relatives' of Polish people. The Church was named after 'Our Lady of Lourdes'. Photos: Marshland Catholic Church, corner of Marshland's & Preston's Roads – built by catholic people of Marshland for their Sunday worship. Still there." - Contributor's note

Area: North / Marshland

Contributor: Dorota Szymanska-Prokop

Source: Entry in the 2019 Christchurch City Libraries Photo Hunt

Source: View in canterburystories.nz

Reference ID: CCL-PH19-DoSz-002

Uploaded by: CCL Photo Hunt

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