Karakia for cathedral dead
Lloyd Ashton
| 28 Feb 2011
Print This
TEXT
Top News...
- Latest
- Most commented
-
Bishop John Gray pauses as he pays tribute to those who perished at the cathedral, and commends them to God.
-
Canon Andy Joseph, Stacey Hakaraia and Bishop John Gray begin their karakia as they move towards the cathedral.
-
Canon Andy Joseph and Mrs Helen Gray of Te Pihopatanga o te wai Pounamu karakia in silence.
-
From left: Dean Peter Beck, Stacey Hakaraia (Te Wai Pounamu), Archbishop David Moxon, Bishop Victoria Matthews and Mrs Helen Gray.
-
Karakia over, Dean Peter Beck embraces Bishop John Gray.
-
Dean Peter Beck with one of the leaders of the Search and Rescue operation.
-
The steel pipe protruding from the cathedral doorway gives USAR workers greater safety during the recovery operation.
-
A massive crane lifted this giant bucket to the top of the tower, and used it to chomp off tonnes of unsafe masonry.
-
Mechanical teeth nibble a couple of tonnes of cathedral parapet. The tower has been lowered another couple of metres to make it safer.
-
The giant mechanical teeth bit tonnes of unsafe masonry from the top of the cathedral tower - but this mouthful was spilled.
-
Mrs Helen Gray, Bishop Victoria Matthews, Bishop John Gray and Dean Peter Beck support each other as the tower is made safe.
In a short but solemn ceremony this afternoon, Bishop John Gray led karakia beside ChristChurch Cathedral for those who perished there on Tuesday.
Giant cranes paused in the removal of tonnes of unstable masonry from the tower, and Search and Rescue teams stood by while Bishop John said prayers to acknowledge the presence of dead within the cathedral, and to pay tribute to those who died.
Bishop Gray spoke of “dragging the canoe of grief and love” to the cathedral, and his team of five from Te Wai Pounamu used fronds of greenery to sprinkle cleansing water on the site.
They prayed the prayers and sung himene that would be said at an Anglican Maori funeral.
Maori protocol has thus been observed, and recovery of the dead may now proceed.
The brief ceremony also recognizes the role tangata whenua should play when people have died on their land.
Bishop Gray spoke and Te Wai Pounamu team were joined by Bishop Victoria Matthews, Archbishop David Moxon, and Dean Peter Beck.
Bishop Victoria asked for God’s guidance and protection of the rescue workers, and also prayed for a cleansing of the site after the tragedy.
Archbishop Moxon finished the karakia by praying for those left behind.
Haere, Haere, Haere
Moe mai i roto i te rangimarie o te Ariki
Go forth from this world,
Rest in the peace of the Lord.
Editors' Picks
'Horrific' violence against women
Violence against women in the Pacific is “horrific” and must be addressed, says an Australian...
Back to the community – every day
What we need is a "Back to the Community" campaign, says the vicar of a quake zone.
Cathedral bells bound for UK
The ChristChurch Cathedral bells will soon be enroute to England for testing and repair.
New guidelines for marriage rites
A “consensus description” of Anglican theology on marriage rites is being finalized by the Int...
A unique and final honour
Sir Paul Reeves is accorded a unique last honour. He is laid to rest on the gentle north-facin...
Decision time on gay ordination
The question of whether openly gay and lesbian people can be ordained should be settled s...
© Anglican Taonga
ANGLICAN TAONGA is the communications arm of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia / Te Haahi Mihanare ki Niu Tireni, ki Nga Moutere o Te Moana Nui a Kiwa. TAONGA magazine is published three times a year and distributed to all Anglican ministry units and agencies. TAONGA also publishes occasional booklets on church, ministry and sacraments. The General Editor of TAONGA is accountable to the Communications Commission of General Synod / te Hinota Whanui, 200 St Johns Road, Meadowbank, Auckland 1742.
Comments on this story
Log in or create a user account to comment.