After a long absence, the spire on St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Temuka has finally been reinstated.
Work was completed last year to strengthen the church’s steeple tower.
However, the church had been closed since while the refurbishment continued.
Opihi Parish property manager David Attwood said the current project was "the last piece of the puzzle" in the restoration process.
The work taking place was both structural and cosmetic.
As it had been closed for a long time there were cosmetic issues which had "cropped up" which were being addressed at the same time.
"There is always some tidying up to do.
"On behalf of the church community I want to applaud the project team and builders for their diligence, and how they’ve taken ownership of the project."
They were doing an "absolutely amazing job".
While Mr Attwood could not give a time frame of when the church would be open again, as the earthquake strengthening and other work was weather-dependent.
He was optimistic it would be open by Christmas.
