It's a little church with a big history and strong historical links with families in the area.
Wendy Pettigrew researched and wrote her book, The Church by the River ? St Mary's Upokongaro, over three years.
St Mary's Church, on SH4, in the village of Upokongaro, was open yesterday as part of the celebrations to mark the publication of the church's history.
Miss Pettigrew said her research was made easier with the 1938-to-1975 church committee meeting notes and the first recorded history, published in 1929 by Vicar William Tye.
Built in 1877, St Mary's is the oldest church in Wanganui still on its original site, and along with St Joseph's at Jerusalem on the Whanganui River, carries an Historic Places Trust category one.
Over the years, more than 70 marriages have been solemnised in the church since 1879. In 1971, 30 couples were married. In 1879 a memorial stained glass window, Christ of Ascension, was placed in the church in memory of the Avalanche shipping disaster on September 11, 1877.
The Avalanche was returning to Wellington with 21 Wanganui people who had returned Home to England for a visit. It collided with a clipper, The Forest, in the English channel, and sank.
On board was Archibald Montgomery, the son of Henry and Frances, farmers in the district, who went to England after the disaster and commissioned the stained glass window which was sent to the Upokongaro church on completion.
Book tells story of riverside church
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