Church Name: St Patrick
On June 17, 1866, Bishop Viard blessed St Patrick’s church in Arney Street, Greymouth, the parish priest at the time being Fr Emmanuel Royer.The Bishop was accompanied by his Vicar-General J.J.P. O’Reily.. St Mary’s Hokitika was consecrated on Sunday 13 May and St Patrick’s Greymouth, on Sunday 17 June.
Unfortunately the site was too near the Grey River, the frequent floods of which brought the waters to a depth of five feet within the little building…….
Father Colomb enlarged the church to double its dimensions and built the first Catholic School, the site of which was subsequently purchased by the Government for harbour improvements.
When Father (later Dean) Carew was appointed Parish Priest at Greymouth he at once recognised that the church must be moved to higher ground and set out to build the third church in Chapel Street.
