Plans unveiled for new Christchurch Cathedral

Christchurch Bishop Michael Gielen wrote a pastoral letter that was read at Masses across the Diocese on July 26, marking the official launch of the campaign to build the new Cathedral.

In the letter, Bishop Gielen said the Catholic faithful of today have the “responsibility” and “privilege” of building a Cathedral – something the first bishop carried more than 120 years ago.

“Our Catholic communities have changed in the decades since Bishop Grimes led our Diocese, but our desire for beauty, for welcome and for honouring God has not,” Bishop Gielen said.

During 2024, following periods of public consultation, Bishop Gielen announced that the Cathedral would return to the Diocese’s traditional home on Barbadoes St and that it would retain the name Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.

In the two years since, significant work has been undertaken to develop the Cathedral’s design, in partnership with architect Warren and Mahoney.

“When I arrived in the Diocese four years ago, one of the questions I was most often asked was, ‘What is happening with the Cathedral?’ That question revealed something profound: the deep love our people have for their Mother Church,” Bishop Gielen said.

“Over these past four years, through listening, prayer and discernment, that shared vision has taken shape. Today, I am proud to say: here is our Mother Church. The vision has become a reality. Now, together, we can bring it to life.”

Bishop Gielen believes people will see in the design “a Cathedral that glorifies God, that serves as a beacon of faith in our city, that responds to the realities of the present day”.

Tony Brazier, who is leading the Cathedral campaign, said a focus on financial prudence and sustainable building, alongside the aspiration for beauty and dignity, saw an $80 million budget emerge for the project.

That will cover the 800-seat Cathedral, the attached Perpetual Adoration chapel and the Te Rangimarie community centre, which can hold 300 people. Landscaping, parking and other external aspects of the project are also included in that budget.

Mr Brazier said about $45 million of the funds needed to build the Cathedral will come from insurance proceeds and the sale of diocesan assets. Of the $35 million required through fundraising, more than $19 million has already been identified.

Bishop Gielen and many of the priests of the Diocese have committed to making a weekly financial contribution for the next five years. Those will add up to a significant gift.

When half of the remaining $16 million to be raised has been found, the Diocese will be ready to move towards final preparations for construction.

“Proceeding in this way ensures financial integrity and demonstrates unified commitment to build the second Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament,” Mr Brazier said.

The original Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament was demolished in 2020 after suffering irreparable damage in the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, Radio New Zealand reported.

FULL STORY

Plans for New Cathedral Released (Catholic Diocese of Christchurch)

Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament

Christchurch Catholic Diocese unveils plans for new $80m Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament (Radio New Zealand)