A blaze has gutted the church at Saint Mary’s Catholic School in Avondale, Auckland. Photo: RNZ / Victor Waters
A school in the Auckland suburb of Avondale is closed for the day after fire engulfed its church.
Fire and Emergency said the church at St Mary's Catholic School was well ablaze when they arrived about 4am on Monday.
Part of Great North Road was cordoned off between Portage Road and Larch Road, police said.
It has since re-opened but drivers were being warned to expect delays in the area.
Photo: RNZ / Victor Waters
Six crews and one ladder appliance were called to the scene at the fire's peak.
There were no reports of anyone being hurt.
General manager of the Catholic Diocese of Auckland James van Schie said he was "absolutely shocked and devastated".
"Sunday is our day of worship and gathering and the church would have had a number of services, three services, that would have been at capacity.
"Hundreds of people would have been here over the weekend and will be really feeling it and grieving this morning.
"The tragic loss of their beloved church is a great sadness for the Catholic community of St Mary's Avondale."
He said the parish was established in 1921 and the church itself was rebuilt the late 1950s.
"There's lots of Aucklanders who will have connections here. They'll be baptised here, married here, have parents, grandparents buried here, so it means a lot to our people."
Van Schie said he was is hopeful CCTV could help provide clues on the cause of the fire.
"We are grateful to emergency services for their efforts and are working with the authorities to manage the situation safely."
"Fire and Emergency New Zealand is assessing the extent of the damage and investigating the cause. We thank the community for their support and ask for patience and understanding during this time," he said.
Parnell fire
Meanwhile a separate fire, on Parnell Road in Parnell closed part of that main road as well.
The road was shut between Garfield Street and St Stephens Avenue in both directions on Monday.
Crews found fire and smoke coming from the ground-floor of the three-storey building after being alerted about 7am on Monday.
It has since been extinguished.
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