St Francis de Sales Catholic Church

St Francis de Sales Catholic Church was designed by architect, Jason Smith of King and Dawson Architects, who also designed Wellington's iconic Freyberg Pool in Oriental Bay.

St Francis de Sales Church is a magnificent example of 1960s architecture and Jason Smith considered the building his best architecture work.

The stained-glass window depicting St Francis, learned Bishop, Doctor of the Church, and Patron Saint of Journalists, is crafted from vibrant clusters of polyester resin. The designer was L. Taylor of Hampton Ltd, Christchurch.

Above the altar, a magnificent mosaic of Christ on the Cross shines with over 135,000 pieces of glass and specially made plastic tiles, creating a work unique to the Island Bay church. This striking piece was designed by Mr. L. Fone of Hampton Ltd, Christchurch.