ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY PRESS RELEASE:
Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
22 Feb 2012
More than 20,000 survivors of Christchurch's earthquake gathered at the city's Hagley Park to mark the first anniversary of the devastating tremor that struck the city at 12.51 pm exactly one year ago today.
The Catholic Bishop of Christchurch, the Most Rev Barry Jones led the final prayers after two minutes silence to remember the 182 who lost their lives.
Commending them to God's mercy, he also prayed for the many grieving and distraught families as well as the quake survivors whom he said "bear the wounds and scars and injuries both visible and invisible from the earthquakes which have continued to oppress us."
Although the first earthquake to hit Christchurch in September 2010 was a massive 7.0, there was no real damage until the 6.2 aftershock of February 22 last year. This was when the city, which until September had been unaware it was built on an active fault line, was devastated.
Already weakened by the 7.0 quake, high rise buildings in the CBD pancaked and the domes and towers of the city's landmark Catholic cathedral and the city's imposing Anglican cathedral, after which Christchurch was named, toppled and collapsed into rubble.
Entire suburbs of New Zealand's third largest city suffered severe damage with houses destroyed, many suffering wide cracks and jolted off their foundations. Roads buckled and liquefaction triggered mud and slush throughout the city's eastern suburbs. Water mains were ripped apart and electricity and the rest of the city's infrastructure severely damaged.
The port of Lyttleton near the centre of the quake was also devastated with houses sliding down the steep cliffs bordering the harbour.
Since then the city has been wracked by continuing aftershocks and as recently as December 2011, Christchurch had to cope with one measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale which brought down more buildings, weakened others and along with liquefaction and oozing mud, triggered severe power outages and broken water mains.
According to counsellors and therapists, 12 months on from the February 22 quake, many of the 338,000 inhabitants of New Zealand's third largest city are severely traumatised, and with the continuing aftershocks and uncertainty about the future, suffering a combination of despair and depression.
With entire suburbs now condemned, many have been forced to walk away from homes that have been in their families for generations. Others have simply packed up and left to start new lives in other cities in New Zealand or across the Tasman, here in Australia.
But despite what many have gone through, today's memorial at Hagley Park was a time not only for reflection but one of hope.
"Let us work together to rebuild a city fit for heroes," the Mayor of Christchurch, Bob Parker urged those who attended the Memorial ceremony. "We've learned that when we work together, when we listen to each other, extraordinary things can happen."
He praised the way friends and neighbours had reach out to one another and said the city was now seeing a resurgence of strength and spirit.
"No city has ever been more strongly united in wanting to recover, rebuild, and once more be a great place to live and to work," he said.
The ceremony which was also attended by NZ Prime Minister John Key, the Governor General of NZ, Sir Jerry Mateparae, paid tribute to the bravery of residents in the aftermath of last year's earthquake and presented more than 140 awards for acts of heroism.
Then as a group of children released 182 monarch butterflies, the names of those who had lost their lives were read out. This was followed by two minute's silence after which the Catholic Bishop of Christchurch led a moving and heartfelt prayer.
The prayer in full is printed below:
Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
22 Feb 2012
Christchurch residents comfort one another at today's
memorial service one year after a quake devastated the city
memorial service one year after a quake devastated the city
The Catholic Bishop of Christchurch, the Most Rev Barry Jones led the final prayers after two minutes silence to remember the 182 who lost their lives.
Commending them to God's mercy, he also prayed for the many grieving and distraught families as well as the quake survivors whom he said "bear the wounds and scars and injuries both visible and invisible from the earthquakes which have continued to oppress us."
Although the first earthquake to hit Christchurch in September 2010 was a massive 7.0, there was no real damage until the 6.2 aftershock of February 22 last year. This was when the city, which until September had been unaware it was built on an active fault line, was devastated.
Catholic Bishop Barry Jones led the final
prayer at the memorial
of Chrsitchurch's devastating quake
prayer at the memorial
of Chrsitchurch's devastating quake
Entire suburbs of New Zealand's third largest city suffered severe damage with houses destroyed, many suffering wide cracks and jolted off their foundations. Roads buckled and liquefaction triggered mud and slush throughout the city's eastern suburbs. Water mains were ripped apart and electricity and the rest of the city's infrastructure severely damaged.
The port of Lyttleton near the centre of the quake was also devastated with houses sliding down the steep cliffs bordering the harbour.
Since then the city has been wracked by continuing aftershocks and as recently as December 2011, Christchurch had to cope with one measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale which brought down more buildings, weakened others and along with liquefaction and oozing mud, triggered severe power outages and broken water mains.
According to counsellors and therapists, 12 months on from the February 22 quake, many of the 338,000 inhabitants of New Zealand's third largest city are severely traumatised, and with the continuing aftershocks and uncertainty about the future, suffering a combination of despair and depression.
With entire suburbs now condemned, many have been forced to walk away from homes that have been in their families for generations. Others have simply packed up and left to start new lives in other cities in New Zealand or across the Tasman, here in Australia.
But despite what many have gone through, today's memorial at Hagley Park was a time not only for reflection but one of hope.
Christchurch Cathedral's bell tower was
destroyed in the February earthquake
destroyed in the February earthquake
He praised the way friends and neighbours had reach out to one another and said the city was now seeing a resurgence of strength and spirit.
"No city has ever been more strongly united in wanting to recover, rebuild, and once more be a great place to live and to work," he said.
The ceremony which was also attended by NZ Prime Minister John Key, the Governor General of NZ, Sir Jerry Mateparae, paid tribute to the bravery of residents in the aftermath of last year's earthquake and presented more than 140 awards for acts of heroism.
Then as a group of children released 182 monarch butterflies, the names of those who had lost their lives were read out. This was followed by two minute's silence after which the Catholic Bishop of Christchurch led a moving and heartfelt prayer.
Damage to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament
taken two weeks ago from the air
taken two weeks ago from the air
O God whose mercies are without number,
and whose treasure and goodness is infinite,
graciously increase the faith of your people
that all may grasp and rightly understand
by whose love they have been created.
Your Son Jesus has taught us
to open our hearts to you in sincere prayer,
today after one year,
we commend to your love and mercy
all those whose lives have been changed forever
by the earthquake of 22 February 2011.
We commend to your mercy
those who lost their lives in that terrible time.
We remember too,
those who were evacuated in great stress
from city rest homes
and who have since departed this life
Grieving and distraught families, friends and workmates
entered thereby into a time of sadness,
loneliness and heartbreak.
Have mercy on them all O God.
We commend also to you those living survivors
who bear wounds and scars and injuries
both visible and invisible
from the earthquakes which have continued to oppress us.
May their trust and confidence in you never fail,
but rather grow to be strong and life-giving
for themselves and for those close to them.
Your Son Jesus
showed himself to be the physician of souls.
May those burdened by fear, anxiety,
worry and hopelessness,
know your healing hand.
Many of our people Lord carry painful memories
of building and structures falling,
and persons being crushed and trapped.
Have mercy on them and grant them peace.
We pray in Jesus' name
Amen
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