After the devastating earthquake which struck Christchurch, New Zealand last Tuesday with 147 people killed and another 50 still missing, local churches took seriously the importance of helping people grieve this Sunday.
Church services were held across New Zealand on Sunday to remember those who died and also to pray for those grieving or suffering in other ways because of the 6.3-magnitude earthquake.
Most of the services held in Christchurch itself, were out in the open due to the damage to church buildings.
The Rev Alan Webster conducted a service on the lawn outside the Christchurch South Library, and afterwards informed the
NZPA news service:
“Quite a few churches around the city do not have clearance and people are nervous about being in an enclosed space anyway so we have decided to meet outside. This is an open space where people can relax together.”
At Christchurch Cathedral, the Bishop John Gray led a specially designed service in memory of those who died when the cathedral’s spire collapsed. It is believed that over twenty people were buried under rubble from the spire.
Residents of Christchurch have been very vocal in their desire to see the cathedral rebuilt.
Christchurch mayor Bob Parker was quoted by the New Zealand Herald as saying: “We can’t let it go. It does deserve to be rebuilt, stone by stone.
“It is a symbol of all those that have gone before. We’ve lost a lot of things, but that is one we should not lose.”
Certain churches within Christchurch will need to continue meeting outside or make alternative arrangments since engineers estimate that at least a third of buildings affected are beyond saving and will need to be demolished.
A special two-minute silence has been planned for Tuesday at 1251 local time (2351 GMT Monday) to mark the one week anniversary since the quake struck.
(Image shows the collapsed spire of the Christchurch Cathedral in the direct aftermath of the earthquake).