The Old Church, Weddings and Functions — Restaurant in Napier

A large boarding and day school was built on the Taradale side of the church in 1872 and this flourished for many years. It was intended to be a boys equivalent of St Joseph's Maori Girls' College but gradually became a co-educational primary day school which was later staffed by the Sisters of St Joseph and the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions. Settler numbers were growing in Meeanee so in October 1874 a contract was let to enlarge the church. The existing church was cut in two and a transept placed between the two parts. The entrance was moved around to the east of the new section. The additions cost 626 pounds. Mass was held each Sunday at 11am with Vespers on Sunday evenings at 7pm. A large new residence for the priests and brothers was built in 1880 on the Meeanee side of the church. This building was later converted to become a seminary for the training of priests and because of repeated floods was moved to the Greenmeadows hill in 1910 where it still functions today as the Mission Estate Winery. With the arrival of more priests and students at the Scholasticate, or seminary, the church needed to be enlarged once again in 1892. Robert Lamb was the architect and Mr Chegwidden was the contractor. The building was lengthened to 75 ft and widened to 46 ft. The old sanctuary became the vestry and the nave was enlarged to 50ft by 37ft and was 30ft high. It was divided from the aisles by pillars of rimu with arches filled with ornamental traceries. The gallery for the choir was completely new. The building was over six times larger than the former church. There was a grand opening by Archbishop Redwood in December 1892 which was reported extensively in the...

We had our wedding at The Old Church in November 2021. From the moment we made contact with The Old Church, James and the team were friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable on creating a smooth day. Leading up to the wedding, James was helpful, flexible, and had prompt and professional communication. On the day, James and the team ensured that all vendors were on the same page and we knew we could put our trust with them. The venue is absolutely stunning, the guests loved the uniqueness of the venue. and all different spaces to celebrate. The food was absolutely divine, we had so many compliments on how delicious the food was, and they adapted really well to dietary requirements. The villa... Oh my gosh. The perfect place for the bridal party to get ready and made for some absolutely stunning photos. We had a wedding brunch at the villa the following day and it was such a special and beautiful space to enjoy. We thoroughly enjoyed spending time here. We felt extremely special and taken care of the entire time. Thank you so much, our day was amazing....

My Princess Chanelle, always wanted to get married at The Old Church. Moira and the team went Above and Beyond to create a Fairy Tale wedding that Walt Disney himself could not produce any better. Instead of having two nights at the Old Church Villa, we were given Four Fantastic nights in a house with so much elegance and luxury, every time we walked through those doors. Our wedding day was so relaxing and worked like clockwork. We never felt rushed and everything flowed nicely. The food was mouth-watering, a food lovers paradise, a slice of heaven if you'd like. The Old Church itself needs no decorations as on its own the ambiance from inside the venue and chandelier is breath taking. Moira is a pleasure to work with, she really knows how to treat her guest and goes out of her way to exceed your expectations. I cannot wait to visit The Old Church again for lunch or dinner, either way this place is absolutely wonderfully. I highly recommend it as a romantic getaway place or to have family and friends for an delicious meal. Thank you Moira...