Country Churches of NZ 67. St. Joseph's, Jerusalem, Whanganui River

I wrote and illustrated Country Churches of New Zealand. It was published in 2002 by New Holland, Publishers and is still on sale in bookshops. The publishers have kindly agreed to me re-publishing some of the book’s images and descriptions in this blog.

ST. JOSEPH's, JERUSALEM

Farther up the Whanganui valley from Upokongaro (see 66) is the famous church of St. Joseph, Jerusalem.

It was a long drive in heavy showers, but the sun broke through as I arrived. Striking the moist surfaces, it enriched all colours making the church look shamelessly gaudy.
The classic view is of the steeple with the mother and child sculpture in its niche but I opted to paint it from the rear to show its full shape.

It was built in 1892, the year in which Mother Mary Joseph Aubert's Order of the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion was founded. She, with fellow nuns, served the Hiruharama* Maori community as teachers, preachers and nurses from 1883 on.
Jerusalem later became famed as James K. Baxter's atypical commune. He died and was buried there in 1972.

*Hiruharama is the Maori pronunciation of Jerusalem.

© DON DONOVAN
donovan@ihug.co.nz
.