St Oswald’s Church re-opens, dedicated to two generations’ sons

“Surreal.” That is how Leicester Murray described his feeling as the rededication of St Oswald’s Memorial Church approached last week.

Leicester’s great-grandparents Charles and Jessie Murray built the church 100 years ago in memory of his great-uncle Hector, who succumbed to tuberculosis at age 19. It served the Wharanui community until the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake damaged the building and rendered it unusable.

Spearheaded by Leicester and his wife, Laura, a push to repair began the next year. The St Oswald’s Memorial Trust – co-founded with cousins Bruce Murray and Marty Westenra – raised funds for construction work involving structural stabilisation as well as restoration.

In the midst of the planning and fundraising, Leicester and Laura lost their son, Wilson, to an accident on SH1 between Wharanui and Kaikoura in September 2022. Wilson was 21, just months from his 22nd birthday, and a passionate advocate for the project. His parents redoubled efforts to return the church to glory.

Work began 20 months ago, in 2024; a few finishing touches remain. Nonetheless, when more than 200 supporters gathered for the re-opening service on Saturday afternoon, St Oswald’s glistened with beauty and energy.

“It was built out of love,” Leicester explained last Thursday, stepping away from a house full of guests accompanied by Laura. “It was built by my great-grandparents in memory of a son, their second son. It was built out of love for him, love of faith, and as a method of grieving.

“We lost our son three years ago, and that really took our motivation to another level. He believed in the project – for six years, every time he was home from university, he’d say, ‘Hey, how are you getting along with the St Oswald’s project? Where’s it at?’ It was part of him.”

Laura continued, “We understand where Charles and Jessie were, how they felt, so it was a matter of repairing it out of love for our child – that it would be a place of peace for others to visit.”

Celebration of lifetimes
A memorial to Charles and Jessie stands tall in the cemetery behind the church, a garden with a panoramic vista overlooking the coast. Other relatives rest nearby. Hector and Wilson lay within St Oswald’s itself.

In a large tent erected for the service, Leicester shared their intertwined history. Hector – as Charles Hector Heaton Murray was known – died in Geneva and was buried in Switzerland. His parents dedicated St Oswald’s in 1927, naming the church for the King of Northumbria who died young in a seventh-century battle.

In 2019, the Murrays learned that the land with Hector’s grave had a lease expiring in 2023. The family brought his remains back to Wharanui. A plaque on an interior wall marks his interment in the church.

Affixed to the opposite wall is a matching plaque for Wilson. “The unforgiving highway is beside us,” Leicester observed in recognition of his generation’s tragedy.

Reverend John Phillips presided over the service. He explained the family found a copy of the 1927 service – he adapted that for this dedication. Laura offered a scriptural lesson; father-daughter musicians Tom and Katie Jarrett led the hymns.
The reverend’s sermon spoke to houses of worship – temples both physical and spiritual – before harkening to the small coastal church.

“God is not limited to great cathedrals,” he said. When people gather at St Oswald’s, “then also the spirit of God will be here.”

He injected a moment of levity when feedback from his microphone crackled through the speakers, quipping: “I’m sure in 1927 they didn’t have that problem.”

Legacy continuing
The reverend anticipates future celebrations at St. Oswald’s. So do the Murrays. The Anglican Diocese of Nelson transferred the church to the trust; it remains consecrated, and the trustees intend to make it available for holidays, weddings, interdenominational observances, and impromptu meditations.

“It will be open to the public during daylight hours,” Leicester explained. “The key will be in the door, or the door will be open.”

Laura elaborated, “It’s a place to be at peace.” Standing beside the church with his daughter, Tom recounted driving by St Oswald’s and wondering about its status.
“People know the church very well,” he said.

“It’s a landmark on the way between Kaikoura and Blenheim. So, it’s nice to come and be involved. Drawing the community together around the church is a really cool thing.”

Indeed, the Murrays welcomed a community – not just from Wharanui, but across New Zealand and even the States. The project benefitted from financial contributions and donations in kind totalling in the hundreds. As the reverend said during the service, Saturday’s event honoured all who helped, too many to thank individually.

“I think it was great,” Laura reflected as friends enjoyed tea around the grounds. “It was great to see so many children here. From Auckland to Invercargill, and beyond, so many people came.”