Church Name: St Mary
Built during 1953 and 1954 on the main road on the site of the old Winchester Hotel of hand made concrete block. Closed in 1982, sold and converted into a house.
Three of the stained glass windows were re-used as interior windows in the Tinwald church, the remainder going to Green Island church in Dunedin.
The church was built by a co-operative effort among parishioners under the leadership of Fr P.P. Cahill SM.
The section was bought off Ray Armstrong of Timaru for £130. Part was sold to Geraldine County for £25.100 Guineas was paid by Temuka parish. 3300 blocks measuring 18 inches by 8 inches by 4 inches weighing 42 lbs each were made beside St Joseph’s church in Temuka. 90 more had to be made to finish the job.
The design was done by Fr T. Liddy and Mr E.E, Leeming of Christchurch. The foundations were started on November 30, 1953. The stained glass windows were made by Bradley Brothers, designed by Leslie Taylor with advice from Fr T.J. Liddy. One depicted St Pius Xth, another St Peter Chanel, this one donated by Bishop Joyce.
St Mary’s Church, debt free, was dedicated by Bishop Joyce in 1954 and the seven beautiful stained glass windows were donated by parishioners.
When the church closed in 1982 these windows were given to the Green Island parish [Dunedin] as their original church had been destroyed by fire. In 1986 St Mary’s became a private residence.
