A Musical Week at St Patrick’s
125th Anniversary of the Hobday Organ
In early October, St Patrick’s joyfully celebrated the 125th anniversary of its historic Hobday organ. This instrument began its life in the first church and was then transferred to the new church in the 1990’s. It sits aloft in the west gallery.
Any church is blessed to have a beautiful pipe organ, and the sound of this instrument has been a continuous part of liturgical life at St Patrick’s. Love for their Hobday was evident as a full church listened
to more than an hour of organ music, supplemented by solo pieces by James and Stephanie Roberson, along with the parish choir, led by its long-serving director and key organiser of the event, Sue Falvey.
“The event drew enthusiastic participation from both parishioners and the wider local community,” said parish priest, Fr Mathew Siji. “We were privileged to feature renowned organist Ron Newton as chief guest, and his presence certainly added a special touch to the occasion, honouring the legacy of sacred music that has enriched the parish for generations.”
Jubilate West Coast
The following evening saw the final Jubilate for 2025, bringing together our three schools: St Patrick’s and John Paul II High School in Greymouth, and St Mary’s Hokitika. “This musical event showcased the talents of young performers and highlighted the unity of the Catholic school communities,” said Greymouth parish priest, Fr Mathew Siji.
The three schools prepared a shared repertoire of Catholic sacred music which formed the bedrock of an hour-long concert in St Patrick’s church.
This programme was supplemented by individual items from all three schools, along with solo songs from talented couple James and Stephanie Roberson. Jubilate Director Ken Joblin also offered some beautiful chant from a millennium ago.
“It was a great evening which we love supporting. We are looking forward to next year.” said St Patrick’s School Principal, Ian Johnson. “The kids always enjoy it,” added Parish Youth Worker Ivory Wallace.
A feature of this event is the broadening of Jubilate from the parish school in its earlier years, to more recently including John Paul II and St Mary’s Hokitika. Joanie Roberson is Director of Religious Studies at the high school. “It is delightful to see the confidence and joy in music that is growing amongst many members of our school community, as well as enthusiasm for more and more to get involved and learn new skills,” she said.
James Roberson is Head of Music at John Paul II High School and 2025 is his second year directing his school choir in Jubilate. They began the concert with a choral arrangement of John Farnham’s well known ‘change’ anthem, “You’re
the Voice,” and concluded with a setting of Psalm 95 (96) “Sing a New Song”, composed especially for Jubilate by James himself. “It was a wonderful festival this year and we very much enjoyed it,” he said. “I can’t promise to write a piece for every year but it was great to be able to contribute to the existing Psalter tradition! We will very much look forward to next year for another Jubilate festival - I’ll have to start thinking about repertoire!”
The evening brought together 50 young singers and an audience of around 80. Maria Lockington is on the staff of St Mary’s Hokitika. “It was a memorable, slick, and very special event,” she said. “It was an incredible blessing to be there and hear the talent from all three schools. We have had so much positive feedback.”
Sacramental Life at St Patrick’s, Greymouth
On the feast of Corpus Christi, ten children received their First Holy Communion, marking a significant step in their spiritual journey. Bishop Michael Gielen graced
St Patrick’s with a special visit to baptise five students from St Patrick’s School. These young candidates were well prepared through the school’s sacramental programme. Fourteen students from John Paul II High School were Confirmed by our bishop. These important sacramental steps were filled with grace and joy, bringing together our school and parish community, to celebrate the deepening of faith among these young individuals.
What a great day!
On Sunday 9 November, more than 200 faithful parishioners from Greymouth, Hokitika, and South Westland gathered in the oldest church of the West Coast, St Patrick’s, Ross, for their Jubilee Year Pilgrimage. Organised by Fr Peter Head, parish priest of South Westland, this was a wonderful time of meeting together and sharing our faith, hope, and love.
