ketekorero May - July 2015
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involved much karakia (prayer). Bridget gives a lot of credit for helping to transform the school to Terry Murphy, the chairperson of the St Joseph’s board of trustees and local kaumatua and kuia, Koro Tame and Kowo Lewis, and the local parish. Koro Tame begins each school week with karakia. Terry owns the nearby Murphy’s Holiday Camp on State Highway 2. Perched on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, the camp is in an idyllic location. Terry, a past pupil of Sacred Heart College in Auckland, came to Matata with his wife 29 years ago and bought the camping ground off his parents-in-law. Terry believes that Matata is to some extent under-developed, in terms of the historic nature of the
town and its links to the Church, Matata is regarded as the older brother of Whakatane. With the school located adjacent to the church, a good level of cooperation exists. Mass at St Joseph’s averages at between 40 and 80 people each Sunday at 11 am. Much like the school, many parishioners come from other towns, such as Kawerau, the pulp mill town further inland. Father Robert Sharplin travels up from Whakatane to conduct Mass and he says Matata is a unique blend of Maori and Pakeha. “It’s got a wide social mix, and the school is historically important, so it is imperative that it continues.” St Mary would have had a hand in planning and organising the
Terry Murphy with the shrine honouring St Mary.
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Father Robert Sharplin school during her visits to the area, he says. “The strength of the Church is in the historical strongholds like Matata. If we abandon them, we will be amazed how quickly the Church in the main centres will start to wither as well. If we are not attending to the margins, as the Holy Father says, there is something going radically wrong in the core.” Tea and coffee and a bite to eat are standard after Mass. Here we meet members from the old families of Matata and the newest arrival. You don’t have to go far to find the name of Marr in Matata. Rita Costar (nee Marr) says her greatgrandfather had the Catholic church built on the family’s land. Her father did all the paintings above the altar at the current St Joseph’s church. Rita says St Joseph’s had a famous choir of most beautiful singers, attracting people from around the district to hear them sing. “I had six brothers and people used to come from miles around
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just to hear them sing.” Catherine Schuler, a new arrival in the parish, has moved to Kawerau from Tauranga where she worked as a counsellor at Aquinas College. “I had a feeling my skills would be more useful somewhere else and saw the job at Tarawera High School and, I guess, God made me do it really.” She had never been to Kawerau, but something said she should go for the job and, if she didn’t get it, it would mean her work at Aquinas was not completed. Having been offered the job as counsellor, she made the move, and she is glad she has, “because it is a beautiful community.” Having gone to St Joseph’s in Te Puna, she was looking for a little parish with the same wairua, so was glad to have found Matata. Joseph Marr, 16, goes to Whakatane High School. Joseph says he will probably do something involving computers in the future. That will mean he will have to move away from the small town, but he says it is important to keep the parish going in Matata. “Mass in town (Whakatane) is different from Mass here and the way it is done. People are used to Mass here, like it’s pretty casual.” Julia Gurran (nee Brady) was brought up in Matata and always had the “Brown Jo’s” as her teachers. Her favourite memory is of the Sister Josephine, who was younger than the other nuns and had much more fun with the children. Although she only stayed a short time, Julia says the young nun was inspiring. Graeme Roil, Schools Manager for the Diocese of Hamilton has also advised that St Joseph’s school has the strong support of the Proprietor Bishop Stephen Lowe. From within the diocese we have needed to provide intensive support and make challenging decisions through some difficult times. It is very heartening to see the way in which the community has rallied to support their school. Diocese staff involved in working with and supporting schools within the diocese will continue to work alongside the community, the Board of Trustees and the school to help ensure a successful future.
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