Half a century of service

Bayswater's Catholics are celebrating their church's contribution to the suburb, writes Rowena Orejana.
Jack Sheehy and Marie Keeling have been parishioners at Bayswater's St Luke's Catholic Church since it was built in 1960.
Mr Sheehy remembers the earlier days, when he trekked to St Joseph's in Takapuna to attend mass.
St Luke's became a welcome addition to the community.
Mrs Keeling remembers there were two masses every Sunday. "There were a lot of young families in state houses and naval houses. They would come here every Sunday to hear mass. The masses were packed," she says.
Mr Sheehy and Mrs Keeling were among the earliest church volunteers and young families who filled the church. As St Luke's marks its 50th year, it is down to one mass on Sundays. There are now plenty of empty pews.
To mark the 50th anniversary, the St Luke's community has planned two events. The first, after mass on April 11, is a pilgrimage to Mary and Thomas Poynton's graves at O'Neill Cemetery across the road.
The second is a special Jubilee mass on April 18 followed by lunch and entertainment. The community hopes to revive interest in the church and the faith.
"The challenge that faces us is finding ways to get young people to come forward and take the reins," says Eileen Pearce, who is coordinating the jubilee celebrations.
In the early days, says Mr Sheehy, there was already a strong sense of community. "People knew each other by name."
But, as growing car ownership made people more mobile, numbers dwindled. "People aren't walking to the church anymore. When they began to get cars, they'd go to mass at a time that suited them. There were too many things to do like family sports," says Mrs Keeling.
Lately, attendance has picked up though ...
Alison Lindsay, a young volunteer, says things are looking good. "It's quite encouraging to see younger families coming back again." 
New migrants are also boosting attendance. "The new New Zealanders don't just come here, they are really active in the church," says Mrs Pearce.
The church's three organists are proof of this: one is from Iraq, one from Indonesia and another is from Korea. A Korean girl plays the flute and two Filipinos play guitars.
St Luke's is a welcoming community. "For people who don't have a belief system and are just interested or exploring, there's always a friendly welcome and a cup of tea," says Mrs Pearce. But Mr Sheehy just wants to see the church fill up with people again.
Loyal servants
Thomas and Mary Poynton played a significant role in bringing Bishop Jean Baptiste Francois Pompallier to New Zealand to establish the Catholic Church  here in 1838. They moved to Takapuna in 1844, where they lived until their deaths in the early 1890s. 
Contact Eileen Pearce on 445 6837 or email her at eileenpearce1@gmail.com