Hospital chapel

Press, 22 June 1989, Page 14

Hospital chapel

Sir, —Thousands of New Zealanders have travelled overseas to see and experience other cultures in both old-estab-lished and newer countries. Each country is uniquely different and the most tangible part of that difference is the built environ-

ment. Here in New Zealand we have a very different and unique heritage with influences from many cultures slowly being melded into one. If those older settled countries can save buildings, even to the extent of rerouting roads, then surely we in this fair city can show that we, too, are sensitive caring people by saving the Nurses’ Chapel complete and on its existing site. What a wonderful opportunity to be seen to care. — Yours, etc., C. S. WOOD. June 17, 1989.

Sir,.—At the A.G.M. at the Wellington branch of the Christchurch School of Nursing the matter of the Nurses’ Memorial Chapel was raised. For many years this group of some 80-plus members has been interested in and has raised a considerable amount of money for the relocating of the interior of this chapel. Many of us attended the 1987 reunion and gave support both in principle and financially to this project. Those of us currently working at Wellington Hospital are well aware that a chapel sited away from the heart of the hospital and with only external -access is hardly ever used for the purpose for which chapels are intended — prayer, worship and sanctuary. The centre of Christchurch Hospital is the natural and obvious site for a chapel to serve everybody’s needs. We have been saddened to learn of the controversy and division this has caused in Christchurch amongst its nurses. We wholeheartedly support the relocation of the interior of the Christchurch Hospital Nurses’ Memorial Chapel. — Yours, etc., ANN BYERS, S.R.N., AILSA SPEIRS, S.R.N., committee members of Christchurch School of Nursing, Wellington. June 14, 1989.