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
Reverend Doctor Peter Carrell was ordained the 9th Anglican bishop of Canterbury last Saturday. The service took place at Christchurch Boys’ High School Auditorium. It was led by Archbishops Philip Richardson and Don Tamihere. About 1000 people attended including Anglicans from the diocese and the province, members of the Māori Anglican Church, Tikanga Māori, the Read more
Parties involved in rebuilding Christchurch’s quake-damaged Cathedral signed an agreement on Wednesday, clearing the way for work to begin. The cathedral has sat desolate since the 2011 earthquakes, as the Anglican Church and heritage groups battled over its future. Continue reading
Mayor Lianne Dalziel said it was a joy to see the “meticulous” work done to restore the Rose Chapel in Christchurch after it suffered extensive damage in the February 2011 earthquake. The Colombo St chapel was built by the Sisters of Mercy in 1911, and shared a site with the convent and St Mary’s College. The Christchurch Read more
A senior figure in the Anglican church claims a decision to the reinstate Christ Church Cathedral is being ignored by some in the church in the hope it can be changed. David Morrell, who is a canon emeritus of the cathedral and former city missioner, said there had been “zilch” progress since the church agreed Read more
St Mary’s Catholic Church in the Christchurch East parish has been awarded a Green Star by the New Zealand Green Building Council. It received a “four-star” award which represents “New Zealand Best Practice”. Foley Group Architecture building architect and parishioner Paul Foley said the quest for green star rating had been driven by the Catholic Diocese. Read more
High quality canvas tents from America have created a novel, temporary home for a Canterbury church left homeless by the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. One tent seats up to 500 people, and the other up to 120, at the Living Waters Christian Centre in the Christchurch suburb of Halswell on the southern outskirts of the Read more
The outgoing Bishop of Christchurch, Victoria Matthews, has said goodbye to her diocese with an attack on civic authorities over their handling of the future of Christchurch Cathedral. She was speaking at a special Choral Eucharist in Christchurch’s Transitional Cathedral last Sunday. She said the Christchurch Cathedral restoration is being driven by “the wealthy and Read more
“Is the church called to be the first cousin to a museum or is it the place for the worship of a living God? “To reinstate a very damaged building, so people can say ‘we like the outside of it’, seems to me somewhat misdirected. “I wonder what an empty cathedral would be an icon Read more
The director of the Christchurch Bishop’s Pastoral Office, Mike Stopforth, says he is “thrilled” to have the rebuild of St Mary’s Church in New Brighton, Christchurch completed, especially because it is the first parish church in the diocese to be rebuilt since the 2011 earthquakes. The congregation had been meeting in a nearby community hall Read more