Te Rīpeka Ngaro
by Barbara Te Miha
When Te Rangimārie Centre reached the age of twenty five years, our komiti decided to celebrate that milestone by having a carved Cross created to hang on the facade of the building. Much kōrero followed that decision: what timber to use, where to source it, and who would carve a cross that represented Catholic Māori beliefs?
Tōtara was the wood of choice, and I was delegated to find it. Naturally enough I looked back home to South Westland, and contacted the Giles whānau who operated their own sawmill - the same family who created the “Duzgo,” a nifty little machine for getting around a farm.
Steve Nolan, well known West Coast personality and always a generous supporter of the Catholic Church, donated the timber from a tōtara tree on his farm. Steve was already known at Te Rangimārie, having led the delegation that accompanied Pā Kevin Foote from Whataroa to take up his position as Māori Missioner here.
In due time the timber arrived at Te Rangimārie and was then taken to Oaro, to Wiremu (Bill) Solomon, who was chosen as the carver. Bill was the upoko of Takahanga Marae at that time. Bill carved a very fine Cross and, I guess because I had sourced the wood, he sat down with me and explained to me what the carving represented.
Bill was a very spiritual man, and his faith underpinned everything he did. He had created a Cross that expressed his knowledge and his beliefs. His carving on the cross beams and the upright were carved to give meaning to the natural world of Māori. Over the intersection of the cross beams and the upright he placed a circle which enclosed the centre of the Cross. The circle and its adornment symbolised the Spirit of God moving and bringing change like the wind - meeting the world of the Māori with te Rongopai - the Good News. Where the crossbeams and the upright met, Bill carved the Face of Christ, the ultimate goal of our search for Truth.
Our revered cross hung on the front of Te Rangimārie for just over another twenty five years, until the end of November 2024 when it was smashed and destroyed - the upright beam and the circle broken off and stolen - but the Face of Christ remains. The whānau of Te Rangimārie are very saddened at this act of hate or vandalism and we know that Bill Solomon would feel the same sadness - sad but not vengeful. In this year of Hope, Bob and I hope that the Face of Christ will still look out from Te Rangimārie and be mirrored on the faces of the whānau who worship there.
