Welcome to ICP!
Our parish story began in 1847, when Catholic families first gathered for Mass in Ellerslie. In 1904, the Church of the Immaculate Conception was built in memory of Monsignor Walter McDonald, and it has remained the heart of our community ever since.
From those early beginnings, our parish has grown into a vibrant and diverse family of faith. We are blessed with parishioners from many cultures and backgrounds from the Pacific islands and Asia, united by a spirit of inclusivity, belonging, and shared faith. In recent years, the Vietnamese and Syro-Malabar Catholic community has also made its home with us, enriching our parish life even further.
Today, we give thanks for the legacy passed down to us and warmly welcome all who come through our doors to share in the life of our parish.
Would you like to make our Parish your home church?
If you have enjoyed coming to our parish and find it is somewhere you would like to belong to, we welcome you to register and get to know more of what we do and who we are.
PARISH REGISTRATION FORM
email it back to our Parish Office once completed
Hard copies are available at the back of the church, in the foyer where you can fill in and drop it off at the Parish Office.
Can You be of Service to Our Parish?
According to the Bible, every Christian has been given at least one spiritual gift to use in service to the body of Christ.
Each of us can use whatever gift we have received to serve others, our parish as faithful stewards of God’s grace.
If we are of service, we do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.
Take some time to reflect and have a look at the Volunteer list at the back of the Parish Registration Form.
See what gifts you can bring to the service of our parish and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessings to you all!
Our History
There has been a Catholic presence in the Ellerslie district since the 1880s. It was due to a remarkable priest Father Walter McDonald that the church was built in his memory. Known locally as the Father Walter McDonald Memorial Church, it was given the official title of The Church of the Immaculate Conception at the laying of the foundation stone. It was through this man that we are privileged to celebrate our faith in a church that was built in 1904.
At the instigation of the Parish History Committee, a plaque was recently installed in front of the re-sited Grotto marking the arrival of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Mission in 1912. The Grotto now stands near the entry to the school.
Also of interest is the Parish Hall, a popular venue for Auckland dances in the 1940s and 50s. Many a courtship and marriage eventuated from these popular Saturday night dances. Some descendants of early families, who arrived before 1920, are represented in the Parish to the present day. Our Christmas Crib is special and has an interesting background. The Church interior reflects how the practice of our faith has changed.
In 2004, coinciding with our Centenary celebrations the book, A Good Man’s Legacy, was published recording not only the events and people involved over the years but also the development of the district.
It is important to the growth of our Parish history that we continue to add to our archive. If you have material relating to our Parish which you no longer require, no matter how new or old, please consider passing it on to the Parish History Committee.
“We are guardians of our memory, our history is everything and fundamental to our identity.” (attributed to St Paul)
We hope you will enjoy the links (in blue) provided above and discovering just what makes our Parish different. ~ Parish History Committee
