Big, 600 seat church buildings don’t “bring people” in Christchurch. Good healthy functioning communities small or large, with community – enabling priests and lay ministers, folk who include everyone in the mix, and allow all sorts of community lead projects to flourish, create the places where people want to come. In these places the interface Read more
People fighting to preserve heritage buildings are questioning the decision announced by the Bishop of Christchurch to demolish the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral. But Christchurch Regeneration Minister, Megan Woods says the city needs to accept the church’s decision and move on. Woods said she had many fond memories of the cathedral having gone to school next Read more
A new Catholic Cathedral in Christchurch could be built on a site beside the Avon River, a new four-minute documentary suggests. The documentary begins with filmmaker Gerard Smyth telling Paul Martin, the Catholic bishop of Christchurch, that he has heard “rumours” that the cathedral might be moving. To which Martin replies “It is very interesting Read more
Christchurch Regeneration Minister Megan Woods does not have the power to intervene and stop possible demolition of the Christchurch’s earthquake-damaged Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. A spokesman for Woods said she “does not have the power to intervene as the rules under the Christchurch District Plan govern and enable the demolition of the Catholic basilica.” Read more
Christchurch regeneration minister Megan Woods is seeking formal advice on whether she could intervene to prevent the demolition of Christchurch’s Catholic cathedral. A spokesman for Woods said last Wednesday that formal advice on whether she could intervene to prevent demolition under a section 38 notice could be with the minister in about two days. The Read more
The Catholic bishop of Christchurch, Paul Martin, says the diocese is in talks over the purchase of a city centre site near Cathedral Square, which he declined to name. Martin said the land purchase talks were part of an assessment of three options for the 113-year-old Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament which was severely damaged in Read more
The Catholic Bishop of Christchurch, Paul Martin is reconsidering restoration of the earthquake-damaged Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. The diocese has about $30m from insurance but the total cost of a complete restoration is estimated to be in the region of $100 million. That leaves about $70m to be obtained from fund-raising. Martin has questioned the Read more
A writer living in the United States has made a plea for the Catholic Christchurch Basilica to be restored. Writing in First Things, Stephen Schmalhofer opines: “Let us hope that Macauley’s unknown traveler will arrive with plenty of practice sketching the restored cathedral domes in Christchurch. “To honor the blood and sweat of the missionary New Zealand Church and Read more
Interactive panels erected outside the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Christchurch will give visitors a video and pictorial view of the Catholic basilica’s history and also the damage sustained in the earthquakes. The 12 panels, four of which have been printed with an interactive QR code, have created a timeline from 1860 to the Read more
The Catholic diocese of Christchurch is waiting for the appointment of a new Bishop to get approval for the restoration of the earthquake damaged Cathedral. “We are ready to go in a sense, but we can’t do anything that compromises the bishop’s decision,” said the administrator of the Christchurch Diocese Fr Rick Loughnan. He said Read more