ASHBY Sarah
Charlie and I with four of our children moved to Kopaki in 1962
Mass was held every month at Mangapehi and Benneydale halls or at private houses with Father
O’Brien and then Fathers Bracken and Flannery the consecutive priests at that time. They collected
the children and I at the road corner to enable us to attend Mass.
A young Father Flannery - Mill Hill priest - is remembered warmly. He once called to find me
prostrate with one of the worst doses of Flu I have ever experienced Charlie, like the majority of
husbands back then, was obliged to be at work and the children were barely supervised from my
state of misery. Father made lunch for everyone and created order with the kids before departing.
He was a regular visitor to our home at the end of his visiting rounds in time to have tea and
watch Z Cars on TV before heading homewards.
Work transfers for Charlie meant that we moved first to Hamilton and then to Gore in the South
Island for four years and great parishes before returning to Te Kuiti yo become part of St
George’s with only the youngest children attending St Joseph’s school , and only one receiving
Sacraments at St George’s having been too young in the other parishes.
Sister Constance is well remembered by our family. She was definitely not amused to discover
one of our children posting some unconsecrated hosts into letterboxes accompanied by a solemn
“Body of Christ” intonation. I was summoned by Sister to help retrieve the wafers while the
culprit was dispatched to Father Curtin. Some early morning weekday Mass attendances to serve
were imposed as penance on the guilty party!
Father Aherne’s after Mass breakfasts are well remembered with a few of us being dispatched to
the presbytery to make porridge and tea which he barely had time to swallow while rushing
around to get ready for his dash to Pio Pio in time for Mass there.
Full circle occurred with an older Father Flannery arriving as Parish priest this time in Te Kuiti.
Having grown up in Wanganui with the Home of Compassion nuns very much a part of my
early family and life there, and where I had firsthand awareness of their ongoing work and need, it
was a natural extension of my parishioner involvement to become part of the St George’s Mission
group (part of Catholic Women’s League.) I really enjoyed either working with the members for
home and overseas missions before the League went into Recess , then on my own volition,
running the Op Shop specifically for the Sisters benefit. I looked forward to personally delivering
their St Georges CWL cheque from the proceeds each year when they, along with Pa Gledhill.
joined my family’s annual retreat weekend at my home marae up the Wanganui River. Although
elderly now, with some having died in recent years, the Sisters were and still are, an inspiration.
It was a very special honour when Father Flannery invited me to serve as a Special Minister,
and I still vividly recall my first day with my son Shane’s lovely voice from the back of the
church singing ‘ He Touched Me’ as I walked nervously to the Sanctuary. I still feel privileged to
be part of our group of Eucharistic Ministers.
Weekday Mass whenever I could attend, and joining the Stations of the Cross Group for Lent
have always been special at St George’s - though in recent years Father Hemi found me a
disappointment in my reluctance to lead a station or two! My family regard Father Hemi as
personal friend as well as priest and I shared Wanganui as ‘home’ with Father Carde (and our
deceased “brother’ Bruce Benefield)
I am also one of our rostered projectionists and as the secular local Foodbank co ordinator, I
collect the parishioner contributions to St George’s food basket in the porch each Sunday after
Mass which has been very much appreciated.
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