Story: Catholic Church

Catholic community life: blessing cars, Lower Hutt, 1958 (4th of 5)

Catholic community life: blessing cars, Lower Hutt, 1958

In a ceremony common in other Catholic countries but seldom seen in New Zealand, Irish-born Father J. J. Sweeney, the parish priest of St Bernadette's Catholic church in Naenae, Lower Hutt, blesses the cars of his parishioners in 1958. Father Sweeney, accompanied by an altar boy, sprinkled holy water on 91 vehicles and pronounced a blessing to make them safe and reliable.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PAColl-7327)
Reference: EP/1958/0081

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Rory Sweetman, 'Catholic Church - Fitting into New Zealand society', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/29301/catholic-community-life-blessing-cars-lower-hutt-1958 (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Rory Sweetman, published 5 May 2011, reviewed & revised 17 Jul 2018