Mount Maunganui Anglican Parish
St Mary's Girven Rd St Peter's Victoria Rd
Home Parish Contacts Worship Young People Arataki Market Community Parish Life
St Peter's is
on Victoria Rd near the base of Mauao, Mt Maunganui.
It is the first
church in the Parish built in 1946.
At the rear of St Peter's is a Peace Garden with two memorial walls. It is also a place for peaceful meditation.
St Peter's is a popular venue for weddings.
The hall at St Peter's is a comfortable, carpeted space used by a range of community groups.
Services at St Peter's
Sunday 8am Holy Communion.
Wednesday 10am Holy Communion
Want to be involved at St Peter's?
* Join the worshipping community on Sunday or Wednesday morning
* Sing in the choir
* Volunteer to care for the grounds and Peace Garden
Booking the hall for a meeting or function at St Peter's contact the Parish Administrator
Ph 575 9945
A New Worshipping Community
The first Anglican services at Mt Maunganui were held under the trees at the base of Mauao lead by an itinerant preacher in 1908. In 1913 a visiting Methodist Minister, Mr Richards, took the first proper church service near the Pilot Bay wharf. With the opening of Ministry of Works cottages and a school at Totara St, services plus Sunday School were held more regularly.
Six years later Mrs Blanche Mellish offered 2 cottages to rebuild as a church hall. Monthly services were now held, lead by ministers from Holy Trinity Tauranga or ministers holidaying at the Mount. During the 1920s, 30s and 40s the church hall was also rented to other denominations. By 1943 thirty one Anglican families were registered with the church and the Presbyterians moved out to build on their own site.
In January 1954 the Parochial District of Mt Maunganui was established with its own Vicar. The foundation stone for the new church of St Peter's was laid by Bishop Lesser in 1956.
Ten years later the fledgling parish was ready to spread its wings. First St James was built at Tui St then St Mary's at Arataki. It wasn't feasible to manage all three sites so St James was sold and is now the site of a funeral home.
In 2006 the parish celebrated 50 years with a fabulous display of wedding dresses worn at St Peter's, a series of lunchtime concerts and a weekend with guests and special services. The young people prepared a time capsule to be opened in a further 50 years. It is safely lodged inside the altar.