Last month, we unveiled the school’s magnificent new altar and lectern hand-crafted by senior students. Today, we take a closer look at the work behind these Aquinas taonga.

The altar was created by Year 13 students Jacob Graham and Eric Shin, and the lectern by Holly Van den Borst (also Yr 13) for their 2023 Level 2 Product Development project.

Both feature bespoke designs representing Aquinas’ Catholic tradition and cultural connection to Tauranga Moana. The project took much of last year and was an enormous undertaking in terms of planning, complexity, and execution.

It involved sourcing the rare Heart Matai from a New Plymouth farmer, significant design research and testing, trialling resin colours to match the Chapel’s stained glass window, and exceptional finishing skills to gain sign-off by Technology Leader of Learning Peter Nicholson.

Without question, the result exceeds the expectations of school leaders. “It’s a massive project to have undertaken,” said Mr Nicholson, who was heavily involved in the work. “It more than exceeded the brief.”

Eric and Jacob, who have both progressed to Level 3 Engineering, share their thoughts on the project:

What was the most challenging part?

Eric: Throughout the process of making the altar, there were multiple hills we had to overcome but I think the most challenging was pouring the resin. It kept overflowing out of the altar, so it gave us quite a stressful time getting it sorted out.

Jacob: One of the biggest challenges I faced when making the altar was pouring the resin into the front and side pieces. The pieces needed to lay perfectly level while the resin cured. Keeping the resin perfectly level for 72 hours proved challenging as the wood warps with different temperatures and humidity. So, it was key to put them in a place where they weren’t disturbed and in a consistent climate. We never found this environment, and it required multiple pours and sanding to get it right. But, eventually, Eric and I got it to a state where I was happy with it.

What are you the most proud of?

Eric: As the resin was the most challenging, the completion of the resin part all polished up and looking good made me feel the proudest.

Jacob: I am most proud of the rata trim that has been rebated into the top and lines up with the edge of the bevel perfectly. I like this feature the most because the process of manufacturing it required great precision at every step, and I feel that Eric and I executed it perfectly.

What the Design Means:

The trio researched, designed and crafted the items to speak to Aquinas’ story, culture and location. The lectern, with its crest, cross and figure, visually illustrates what it means to accept our mission as disciples of Christ.

Holly explains that “carrying your own cross” means trusting in God’s divine love for us and finding guidance in our faith, even when we are faced with challenges or sacrifices.

The lectern also features fish motifs to represent our kura’s tauira (students) who belong to something much greater than themselves.

The altar has a distinctive shape to connect it to the Chapel’s stained glass window and acknowledge Aquinas’ origin as Tauranga’s first Catholic college. It features a large carving by Rotorua’s Aaron Hepi which represents the whanaungatanga between students and teachers, our connection to the moana, Mauao, the holy trinity, and education.

What’s Next?

Stage two of the Chapel upgrade project is now underway. Level 2 Product Development student Cullen Anderson (Yr 12) will this year design and create a priest’s chair to match the theme of the new altar and lectern. Stay tuned…