Three days after not allowing the printing or publication of a letter concerning parish restructuring and rebuilding a new Cathedral, bishop of Christchurch, Michael Gielen, released the letter. The 29 March move came after there was considerable interest in the letter’s contents, particularly from Catholics who could not be at Mass on the Sunday it Read more
Parish mergers, further sale of parish and diocesan land and building of a new Christchurch Catholic Cathedral have halted until the diocese hears back from Rome. The news was delivered by a letter read on behalf of the Bishop of Christchurch, Michael Gielen, at all Sunday Masses. Christchurch diocese parishioners told CathNews that Gielen had Read more
Plans for Christchurch’s new Catholic Cathedral are now under review, says Simon Thompson, the diocese general manager. “Bishop Michael (pictured) just wants to make sure he gets it right.” He said the new Cathedral precinct would be a fantastic addition to the city, a place where people, including tourists, would be able to “bump into Read more
The future of Christchurch’s Catholic Cathedral precinct is suddenly looking shaky. The ground shifted when the City Council revised its CBD roading plans. Developers – those putting up millions and encouraging growth – don’t want one-way streets near their sites. Not when they were supposed to be two-way streets. One of the many projects caught Read more
Christchurch city centre’s new Catholic precinct will be a place people can bump into Catholicism says Christchurch diocese general manager Simon Thompson. Rising from the ruins of the devastating 2011 earthquakes, plans for the exciting development include a brand new Catholic cathedral, a commercial building, a 600-space car park, diocese offices, apartments and commercial space. Read more
The new Christchurch Catholic Cathedral complex is estimated to cost $100 million. The announcement was made Monday by the Coadjutor Archbishop of Wellington and Apostolic Administrator of the Christchurch diocese, Paul Martin. The diocese hopes the whole complex will be completed within five years. To fund the project Martin says the diocese is considering selling Read more
Heritage campaigners have given up their legal battle to prevent the demolition of Christchurch’s Catholic cathedral and say their only hope is to shame the local bishop into saving the historic building. Restore Our Catholic Cathedral (ROCC) spokeswoman Dame Anna Crighton said they had given up their legal battle after receiving legal advice from barrister Read more
The Catholic Diocese of Christchurch will be applying to disinter three bishops who are buried in the earthquake-damaged Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Bishop Grimes, Bishop Edward Joyce, Bishop John Cunneen, are buried under the floor of a side chapel of the cathedral. Grimes, the first bishop of Christchurch, was the driving force behind the Read more
This is a tale of two cathedrals. It’s a story of two bishops, a tragedy and even a prince. There’s more than one battle in this long saga and only one of the cathedrals will have a happy ending. Both buildings were severely damaged by the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes and aftershocks, and both sit Read more
The Christchurch Catholic diocese has spent more than $15 million on several blocks of riverside Christchurch land. The purchases are likely to be the first stakes in a larger site for a complex which may include a new cathedral. Property and company records reveal the Catholic diocese has bought 10 vacant properties in the central city block bordered by Read more