Repair of the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral now put at $100 million “We are really looking at three options – whether to demolish the existing building, to retain what we can of the basilica and rebuild to its former glory, or, in the short-term, whether or not to mothball the building until we have a clearer Read more
Wednesday 22 February marks the first anniversary of the second, and the most devastating Christchurch earthquake in which the Catholic and the Anglican cathedrals were severely damaged. The future of the Christchurch cathedrals is unclear and those making the decisions are still awaiting further information from the experts assessing the damage and calculating the cost Read more
Missing: Two bronze doors. Possibly stolen, or possibly not.
Christchurch’s Catholic Cathedral has misplaced the tabernacle doors valued at $185,000, after they were removed from the 106-year-old earthquake-damaged building for safekeeping.
The only problem is the board of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament doesn’t know who has them.
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The Catholic and the Anglican Churches are facing some tough decisions about the future of their Christchurch Cathedrals – restore the old ones or build new ones. The Catholic Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament leaders are considering whether to restore the building for more than $100m or build a new cathedral for about $40m. “I am still 50-50. Read more
Quick! Think Christchurch. What image comes to mind? It will be different for us all, but they’ll be some common ones. The Avon, the Chalice in the Square, tree-lined streets, trams, the Port Hills. Perhaps, understandably, it might be a picture of quake damage. But most common of all is likely to be the Cathedral, Read more
Catholic Cathedral staff are delighted to get back 11 stolen chalices they did not even know were missing.
Christchurch police last week returned the chalices to the church after finding them in a stash of stolen goods accumulated by a group of squatters living near the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Barbadoes St.
Read the article...The future of the Christchurch cathedrals is even more uncertain after the decision by the largest insurer of New Zealand churches and heritage buildings to stop offering earthquake cover.
Dean Peter Beck and Catholic diocesan financial administrator Paddy Beban said they would not comment because they did not have enough information.
However, local Church of England media officer PhilipBaldwin said the decision to stop providing earthquake coverage was not a surprise
Asked if it would mean church closures, Mr Baldwin said decisions had yet to be made and it was going to be a long ongoing process.
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Insurance cover has been cancelled for the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Christchurch. Ansvar Insurance will pay out on the existing policy but will not cover the cathedral for further aftershocks. Church spokesperson Simon Pascoe will not say how much the Cathedral was insured for, but says it was covered for its replacement value. A lot of Read more
The Cathedral dome that once stood proud on the city’s Catholic Cathedral in Christchurch has been saved. Contractors are currently deconstructing the top half of the severely damaged cathedral and have completed the removal of the copper dome. Catholic Cathedral spokesman Lance Ryan says they’re pleased with the way the stripping of the copper and wooden beams Read more
It could be six months before the fate of the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Christchurch is known and it could be up to five years before services resume there. Parishioners from the Cathedral are now worshipping at St Mary’s pro-Cathedral, Manchester Street. Bishop Jones has asked the two parishes to work together and to take the appropriate pastoral Read more