Mass was first celebrated in the Addington area in 1879 in the Addington School of the Sacred Heart School hall. By 1898 a church was built on Spencer Street, spearheaded by Fr Servajean SM, to serve the growing Catholic population in the area. The church operated as a satellite of the Cathedral Parish until 1920 when the Sacred Heart Parish, Addington was established.
The early Parish Priests of the Addington Parish include:
| Fr James O’Connor 1920 – 3 May 1939 |
| Fr James Hanrahan 1939 – 1960 |
| Fr Tom Cloher 1960 – 1960 |
| Fr John Finnerty 1960 – 1968 |
St Peter’s Parish in Beckenham was officially established in 1928, although regular Masses had been held in the area from 1924. A new church was consecrated in 1928, which functioned as a school and church. When it was replaced by a new church in 1956, the old church became the parish hall.
The early Parish Priests of the Beckenham Parish include:
| Fr Alexander O’Hare 1927 – 1929 |
| Mons James Kennedy 1930 – 1963 |
| Fr Francis Kelly 1963 – 1965 |
| Fr Edward Brosnahan 1965 – 1976 |
St Martin de Tours was a satellite or sub-parish of Beckenham from 1944. Initially Mass was celebrated in the St Martin’s Public Library, with a church opening in 1955. The church closed in 1999.
On 1st April 2015 the parishes of Sacred Heart, Addington, and St Peter’s, Beckenham, amalgamated to become the Parish of Sancta Maria. The parish has three Mass centres – St Peter’s Church, Beckenham, the Carmelite Monastery in Halswell Road, and Sacred Heart Church, Addington. Sancta Maria (Holy Mary) was the name of the ship which brought Bishop Pompallier into Akaroa Harbour in 1840 and which began the Catholic Mission in New Zealand.
