Wellington's St Mary of the Angels church has been closed for 18 months while it undergoes earthquake strengthening.
The nearly 100-year-old Catholic church, located in the central city, has moved forward the planned seismic strengthening after last weekend's earthquake.
Parish priest Father Barry Scannell says while the church did not suffer any structural damage during the quake, it did highlight the need for the work to begin sooner.
As well as being a parish church, the venue is used for other cultural and musical events in the city.