| TRADITION Saint Michael & All Angels Parish, in Christchurch, New Zealand,
aspires to the Anglo-Catholic way of worship inspired by the 19th
century Oxford Movement in the Church of England. This movement aimed at restoring
the High Church ideals of the 17th century, spurred on by the progressive
decline of Church life, and the spread of a reform liberalism, which sought to erode the
faith and practice of the early catholic and apostolic tradition. However, the mission of
the parish has also been influenced by the exigencies of modern life. We have taken
on board such 20th/21st century issues as:
1.The ordination of women to the three orders of
sacred ministry;
2.The Gospel ministry of all the laity –
through their Baptism into Christ;
3. Acceptance of all people as bearers of
God’s image and likeness – regardless of gender, race, religious
affiliation, social or cultural background;
4.The upholding of the catholic and apostolic
fundamentals of the Christian faith as supported by the Anglican Church of Aotearoa
/ New Zealand, and adhered to by its 3 tikanga partners: Maori, Pakeha and Pacifica.
We consider ourselves AFFIRMING CATHOLICS.
The fullness of the Anglo-Catholic tradition was
introduced to the parish of St. Michael and All Angels by Father Burton, an English
priest who began his ministry at St.Michael’s in 1910, having been influenced by the
Oxford Movement. The previous Vicar of the parish had been the Revd Walter Averill, who
later became Archbishop of New Zealand. He helped to steer the parish towards its eventual
Anglo-Catholic ethos but it remained for Fr. Burton to introduce the more overt
Anglo-Catholic liturgical practices that were to form the basis of St. Michael’s
present-day faith and worship.
As in other New Zealand Anglican parishes aspiring to
introduce the more catholic aspects of faith and devotion in their presentation of
worship, the clergy of St. Michael’s experienced some difficulties in the early days
– in the way of suspicion from some of the hierarchy and clergy of the diocese.
However, the devoted care and teaching of members of the Community of the Sacred Name who
staffed St. Michael’s School, which was part of the parish plant and outreach,
helped to allay most of the criticism and eventually to dispel any doubts as to the
credibility of the mission of the parish to the people of Christchurch.
The Daily Mass – in the Pilgrim Chapel -
has long been an established tradition in the parish, and is presently maintained with the
willing help of a team of dedicated (and honorary) retired clergy. With such a team of
ordained people, and the assistance of a large team of servers, the Daily Mass and the
Sunday solemn services exemplify the sacramental heart of our ministry to the Church and
the World.
Sunday Worship consists of an 8am Mass from
the Book of Common Prayer (1662) in the Lady Chapel. The 10am Solemn Sung Mass is
celebrated at the Nave Altar, with president, deacon & sub-deacon.
At 7pm, there is Solemn Evensong &
Benediction (see Welcome page for daily services)
Celebration of Liturgy. St. Michael’s
treasures its tradition of liturgical observance. The Sunday Mass and Evensong &
Benediction – as well as special Solemn Celebrations on major Saints and Feast
Days – set out to proclaim the glory of God with the use of incense, processional
Cross and banners, robed choir, servers, lay as well as clergy ministry. We celebrate the
complementarity of all God’s people in worship.
The Reserved Sacrament is housed in
the carved wooden Wakahuia, the Maori version of the traditional hanging pyx, which
helps to facilitate the Distribution of the Eucharist to the Sick and Housebound,
and reminds visitors to the Church of our bi-cultural roots, and the Presence of
Christ in our community.
A weekly Healing Service takes place at the
12.15 Mass on Thursdays, at which the Laying-on-of-Hands and Holy Unction are administered
A statue of Our Lady of Walsingham, carved
locally and donated by a former parishioner, stands near the great West door, and is a
focus of devotion to Our Lady. The standing candelabrum is available for votive candles,
providing an opportunity for requesting intercessory prayers.
The Sacrament of Penance is available
on request to any of the clergy.
The Building
Saint Michael and All Angels was the first
church in Christchurch. the original building was a makeshift schoolroom-cum-church so
small that people were likely to hit their heads on the beams. Its early history, closely
connected with that of a young settlement, vividly illustrates the problems of colonial
life. Yet, by the late nineteenth century, St Michael's with a fine new church in the
heart of a growing town, was the leading Anglican parish in the Diocese of Christchurch,
perhaps in New Zealand. Its worship and life were typical of those aspired to by many
Anglican churches in New Zealand for the next fifty years. From 1910 however St Michael's
diverged somewhat from this model. It became, and has remained, a sometimes notorious
example of Anglo-Catholicism in New Zealand.
 St Michael's is a Late Victorian Gothic building combining elements of
the French fourteenth century gothic, and English Medieval styles. It was designed by William
Fitzjohn Crisp and is one of the few buildings known to be designed solely by Crisp.
The church is constructed entirely of Matai timber (native black pine) on rubble stone
foundations. St Michael's is one of the largest timber churches of its style in the world
and possesses a warmer atmosphere than one you would find in a stone building. Such a
massive timber building requires an intricate framework, with pillars carved from single
trees supporting nave arches and huge tie-beams in the roof structure. Structurally the
church has changed little since completion in 1872, the only alteration being the 1896
removal of a tie-beam and secondary arch to give a better view of the east window.
Bell and Belfry
 Erected in 1861, the belfry was designed by Canterbury's leading
Victorian architect, Benjamin Mountfort. He also designed the provincial chambers
and some of the windows in St Michael's. The bell it houses was brought out with the first
four ships in 1850, and was rung every hour of daylight to indicate time to the early
settlers. It is still used to ring the Angelus and to call the faithful to worship
everyday.
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