The Rose Historic Chapel is an Early English Gothic Revival heritage building on Colombo Street in central Christchurch, classified Category II by Heritage New Zealand and home to one of the finest collections of Victorian stained glass windows in New Zealand. Built for the Sisters of Mercy and opened and blessed by Bishop Grimes in February 1911, it now enjoys a new life as a weddings and cultural events venue.
Inside, the chapel retains many original features: hammer beam trusses, an Italian marble and alabaster altar, several nuns' seats and a beautiful cast iron spiral staircase. Eleven stained glass windows commissioned from Hardman's of Birmingham — including the rose window that inspired the chapel's current name — form one of the largest collections of Victorian antique glass of this kind in the country.
Outside, a late 19th century heritage wall gives privacy to landscaped lawns and rose gardens, with a tranquil paved area, seating and a water feature designed to reflect the Neo-Gothic style of the building. The statue of the Sacred Heart facing the chapel entrance is a favourite spot for photographs.
Damaged in the 2011 earthquake and brought back over three years of exhaustive restoration, the chapel was reopened by Mayor Lianne Dalziel in July 2018. Viewings are open to all on Sundays from 2pm to 4pm, October through April, and can be arranged by appointment during the winter months.
On Colombo Street in central Christchurch stands one of the city's most atmospheric heritage buildings: the Rose Historic Chapel, an Early English Gothic Revival chapel classified Category II by Heritage New Zealand and now home to weddings and cultural events. Stone-built, softly lit by antique stained glass and framed by rose gardens, it offers something increasingly rare in a modern city — a room with more than a century of stories already in its walls.
The chapel began as the vision of one remarkable woman. Mother Mary Mechtildes — Margaret Boland of Ireland, who entered the Convent of Mercy at Ennis in 1866 — led five Sisters of Mercy from Hokitika to Christchurch in 1894 at the invitation of Bishop Grimes. Seeking a permanent home, she secured part of the Town Reserves on Colombo Street on All Souls Day 1894, and a two-storey wooden convent with a sturdy brick wall followed. That wall survives today as the oldest heritage structure on the site.
During her time in England, Mother Mary Mechtildes had greatly admired the Sisters of Mercy chapel at Handsworth, Birmingham — the work of John Hardman and his friend A.W.N. Pugin, the acknowledged leader of the Gothic Revival movement. She wanted a chapel that would be both beautiful and the spiritual heart of her order, and she chose Christchurch architects Alfred and Sydney Luttrell, builders of choice for the Catholic Church in New Zealand, to realise it. The foundation stone was laid in March 1910, and on 26 February 1911 Bishop Grimes opened and blessed the chapel, built in Halswell stone edged with contrasting Oamaru stone.
Negotiating patiently with Hardman's studio over three years — and insisting on perfection down to the direction the faces turned toward the altar — Mother Mary Mechtildes filled her chapel with eleven stunning Pugin stained glass windows. She even rejected the first rendering of the Order's foundress, Catherine McAuley, in the Our Lady of Mercy window because it did not truly resemble her photograph. The result is one of the largest collections of Victorian antique glass of this kind in New Zealand.
The rose wheel window that gives the chapel its current name contains many Puginian emblems, and the themes of faith, learning and music dear to the Sisters of Mercy appear throughout. Unusually for its era, the building celebrates female as well as traditional male saints; architect Sydney Luttrell's personal connection shows in his donated window to St Cecilia.
History nearly lost the chapel twice. After the Sisters of Mercy left in 1993 it was the sole surviving building on the site and was scheduled for demolition, before the Christchurch City Council recognised its heritage and cultural value and purchased it in 1994. The Rose Historic Chapel Trust was formed in 1996 and successfully ran the building as a cultural events and weddings venue for a decade. Then, three days before its planned centenary celebrations, the 2011 earthquake struck: the front feature window and rose wheel fell in, and the spiral staircase collapsed. After three years of exhaustive and challenging restoration, the chapel was reopened by Mayor Lianne Dalziel on 25 July 2018, looking better than ever.
Inside, original features abound: hammer beam trusses overhead, an Italian marble and alabaster altar, several nuns' seats and that beautiful cast iron spiral staircase. Outside, the late 19th century heritage wall encloses landscaped lawns and rose gardens, with a tranquil paved area, seating and a water feature designed to reflect the building's Neo-Gothic style. The statue of the Sacred Heart facing the entrance is a favourite spot for photographs.
Viewings are open to everyone on Sundays from 2pm to 4pm, October through April, and by appointment during the winter months. Whether you are planning a wedding, organising a cultural event, or simply want to stand beneath some of the finest Victorian stained glass in the country, the Rose Historic Chapel rewards the visit.