Thames parish and school celebrate 150 years

17 Thames crowd

Close to five hundred gathered over three days at St Francis of Assisi School and Parish in Thames earlier this month to celebrate their Sesquicentennial year having started way back in 1867.

Each day had a special theme, the Friday focused on the school with Bishop Denis Browne present, whose family came from Thames in the gold mining era and where he first served as a young priest. The second day was about Fr Nivard Jourdan, a Franciscan priest who was a huge influence in the town in those early days.

Fr Anthony Malone, OFM, the superior of the Franciscans in New Zealand was the key celebrant that day and on the Sunday the parish’s cultural diversity was celebrated with Bishop Patrick Dunn.

 

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NZ Catholic Staff

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