The second day of EOTC week for the Year 9s was filled with visits to the Cathedral of St Patrick and St Joseph, St Mary’s Chapel and the Pompallier Diocesan Centre. Each stop taught us a lot about our Catholic culture and history and deepened our understanding of Special Character.
Upon arriving at the Diocese, the cohort was split into three groups, each one beginning their rotation at a different destination.
The visit to St Patrick’s involved a tour led by Mr Piggin explaining the different statues, stained glass windows and designs throughout the church. A lot of what is displayed in the Cathedral relates to our culture as Catholics living in New Zealand, and gave us new insight into our religion’s deep history.
After a long walk through Victoria Street and the suburbs of Ponsonby, we reached St Mary’s Chapel, located in the school grounds of St Mary’s College. The chapel was a beautiful place with an intricate stained glass window behind a magnificent altar and rows of seats facing inwards – unusual for a church. We were allowed to go up to the choir’s balcony, which gave us an amazing view of the little chapel.
The last station was a tour through the Pompallier Diocesan Centre. In smaller groups of 10, we heard from a youth group, took in spectacular views of Auckland from the roof, explored the gardens in the centre and learned about artifacts dating back long before Bishop Pompallier arrived in New Zealand. The artifacts were especially interesting, as they included an Illuminated Manuscript handwritten by monks and old hats (mitres) worn by previous bishops.
The day was much enjoyed by all the Year 9s, and we would like to thank Mr Camp, Mr Piggin, all the teachers that came along, ACYM and the staff from the Pompallier Diocesan Centre.
Alanna Santoso
