The Christchurch Rugby Club is complaining that privately owned land adjacent to its land is no longer available to it. The club, who currently needs to access to its neighbour’s land to turn its park lights on and off say the private land is part of the club’s history and it will cost the club Read more
Two of the highest profile buildings badly damaged in the Christchurch earthquake of February 2011 were the two Cathedrals. The Anglican gothic building in the centre of Cathedral Square was a city landmark. The rebuilding project has been marked by controversy; the Dean has resigned and a group of architects has taken the Diocese to Read more
Following the High Court (Justice Chisholm J) ruling that no further deconstruction of the Christchurch Cathedral should take place until further consideration and consultation between the Church Property Trustees (CPT), the Great Christchurch Buildings Trust (GCBT) and the Court, has taken place, the GCBT is endeavouring to work with the CPT and the Bishop, to Read more
A former St John of God brother who was jailed in New Zealand for sexual abuse has now moved to Sri Lanka after Australian authorities laid hundreds of new charges against him. Fairfax Media in Australia reported that Bernard Kevin McGrath flew out of Christchurch a few months ago, some time after 252 abuse charges Read more
While still awaiting several engineering reports, and with new ones being requested, work on finalising the future of the Catholic Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament continues. The Cathedral Management Board has met with Don Miskell, principal of Boffa Miskell, the lead company in a consortium of businesses that will design the central city rebuild, and Read more
The AGM of the priests of the Christchurch diocese was held this week on October 16 and 17 in the St. Gregory’s Parish Centre, Bishopdale. This is the annual meeting of Bishop Barry Jones with all the priests of the diocese. During the meeting members are elected to various bodies such as the Council of Read more
A traditionalist religious order with a community in Christchurch has been formally recognised as a diocesan institute within the Catholic Church. The Congregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, based on a tiny windswept island in the Orkney Isles, Scotland, was formerly part of the breakaway Society of St Pius X. In a Read more
Samoans could be brought into Christchurch to aid the city’s rebuild following top-level talks between the Samoan and New Zealand Prime Ministers. At a press conference on Thursday New Zealand Prime Minster, John Key, said he and Samoan Prime minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi had discussed the possibility of expanding the existing Recognised Seasonal Employer Read more
An important link to St Mary MacKillop lies in the Barbadoes St cemetery in Christchurch New Zealand. Buried there is Mary’s brother, John, who transformed stables at Penola in South Australia to create the Sisters of St Josephs’ first school, which opened in 1866. The place of burial was recently given a special blessing by Bishop Barry Read more
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker says that the Anglican Church needs to produce a definite plan to rebuild Christ Church Cathedral, having left an “information vacuum” after Friday’s announcement. The church’s decision to reduce the building to 2 to 3 metres in height because of severe damage in a number of earthquakes has caused vehement debate. Read more