The Chapel of St. Thérèse of Lisieux
The Chapel of St. Thérèse of Lisieux sits on a hillside overlooking Lyttelton Harbour, Whakaraupō, New Zealand.
It is a 17 m² sacred shelter open to the public daily, serving as a place of worship, reflection, and architectural engagement.
The Chapel was constructed in 2025 by Bull O’Sullivan Architecture as a gift to the people of Christchurch.
The chapel borrows its name from the Carmelite nun Thérèse of Lisieux, affectionately known as The Little Flower. Thérèse developed a simple and humble approach to spiritual life called The Little Way, a reflection on the joy of smallness.
This chapel is seventeen square meters. It's orientated towards Ripapa Island in the Lyttelton Harbour, which has played many roles in New Zealand history, including a gaol housing some of New Zealand's most celebrated Māori prophets.
The exterior is clad with an aluminium weatherboard designed by the architects and used on very select projects in this country.
The triangular door is a play on the Trinity, which is the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. Quite a ceremonial entry point. Alongside the entrance there is a little seat for you to take your shoes off before you enter the space.
The interior is lined with a native rimu timber. This particular tree was extracted from a river in the deep south west of the South Island, and it is reputed to have been in that river for six hundred years. And before that alive for a thousand years. This tree came to fruition a few hundred years after Jesus Christ walked the planet.
Jesus and the cross have been carved by a New Zealand artist named Johnny Hauraki, from heart kauri timber beams rescued from an earthquake damaged warehouse in the inner city of Christchurch. The intention was to represent Jesus at the threshold of Christianity, which is the beginning of the resurrection, which is why one arm is down.
The chocolate carpet is a beautiful one hundred percent New Zealand wool. The kneeler was made by Glenn Whatmough of the Smithery, and it too is constructed from heart Kauri.
The chapel was blessed by the Catholic Bishop of Christchurch, Michael Gelling, on the first day of October 2024, which is the day of celebration of the life of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux.
