Christchurch Catholic Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christchurch Catholic Cathedral |
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|---|---|
| 43°32′18″S 172°38′47″E / 43.5383°S 172.6464°E | |
| Location | Christchurch Central City |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Design and naming |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Cathedral |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1,000 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Christchurch |
The Christchurch Catholic Cathedral is the planned replacement to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament which was damaged in the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes and later demolished in 2020. This makes the cathedral the future mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch (Dioecesis Christopolitana). Initially, the cathedral was to be located on the corner of Armagh and Colombo Streets, opposite Victoria Square. However, on 21 April 2024, Bishop Michael Gielen announced the cathedral would be returning to the Barbados Street site, formerly occupied by the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.
Contents
History
On 4 August 2019, Bishop Martin announced that the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament was to be demolished. This decision was in contrast to Bishop Barry Jones, who favoured the restoration of the cathedral. Plans for the new cathedral, including a building collaboration called North of the Square with Ōtākaro Limited, and the Carter Group were announced by Bishop Martin on 7 December 2019. This collaboration, priced at NZ$500m, included new offices and a chancery, a five-star hotel, and a multi-storey carpark. It was planned to be completed by 2026.
Costs
The Catholic precinct was to cost NZ$100m, with NZ$40m being designated to the construction of the cathedral. The remaining funds were to be spent on chancery offices, an open courtyard, a garden, and parking. Of the NZ$500m collaboration, NZ$126m was set aside for the Diocese. Funding for the construction of the Cathedral was to be carried out, with NZ$45m already being used from its earthquake fund, as well as selling land no longer needed by the Diocese.
Location
Despite the land being purchased for the initial site, it was announced in April 2024 that the cathedral will instead be built on the original site of the cathedral before the earthquakes. The purchased land will be sold off.
Construction
Design
Two architect companies that are to design the new cathedral are local architect firm, Warren and Mahoney Architects, based in Christchurch and Franck & Lohsen Architects from the United States. Franck & Lohsen are known to focus on designing traditional design and have built churches all over the World. Bishop Martin stated saying why this firm was chosen:
"I am looking for us to build something that is more traditional rather than something modern. It needs to tap into why people loved the [cathedral]. People loved the [cathedral] because of the style and elegance."
