Hine Atawhai – a Sisters of Mercy chapel in Papanui

Have you seen this chapel on Windermere Road? It’s one of the last remnants of Loreto College, a Sisters of Mercy boarding school for primary-aged boys which opened in 1930. There’s now a community organisation on the site, and the chapel remains in use as a youth and community space while awaiting funding for repairs and improvements. Today the chapel carries the name Hine Atawhai, acknowledging and preserving the link to the Sisters of Mercy.

A few photos of the school can be found at this link:
https://mercyschools.org.nz/featured_item/loreto-primary-boys-college-papanui/