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 City Council has owned the building since the mid-1990s and budgeted $2.5 million for the repair. Read more

As central and local government discuss altering legislation to allow the cathedral to be restored, an anonymous videographer has sneaked inside the wrecked central city building. Continue reading

The package comprised a $10 million grant and $15m suspensory loan from government, a $10m city council contribution, at least $13.7m in philanthropic donations and the church's own $42m insurance payout.

The Christchurch City Council pledge, supported in principle unanimously by councillors behind closed doors on Friday, is subject to public consultation.

The offer also proposes new legislation, which would allow reinstatement of the cathedral to be fast tracked, and the formation of an independent fundraising trust to find the remaining money.

These two elements, and the council money, augment the original government offer made last year, and closely follow recommendations of the Cathedral Working Party report, delivered to government in November.

That report said a funding shortfall of up to $50m could be raised in three to five years.

Bishop Victoria Matthews said the latest terms were a "generous offer".

"Because we have only just received this proposal from the Government, alongside the council contribution, there will be much for the Synod members to ponder."

The information would be presented at pre-synod meetings ahead of the September vote.

Wagner said: "The Government contribution is a significant amount of money, but we need to balance the property rights of the church with the historical value of the building and the need to break this deadlock."

"About half of Christchurch wants to see the cathedral reinstated, the other half wants a modernised version or a contemporary new-build, but really, everyone just needs a decision. It's time to move forward, and I think this is our best option."

Source

• Stuff
• Stuff
• Image: Stuff

The 12 panels, four of which have been printed with an interactive QR code, have created a timeline from 1860 to the present.

When the code is canned with a mobile phone, you can take a 360-degree interior tour of the Cathedral (prior to the quake), look at a slideshow of 25 archival construction photographs with comment and see drone footage of the interior of the building, and other video coverage, taken since the earthquakes.

Fr Rick Loughnan, Administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Christchurch, said that there was much interest in the Cathedral, its history and its present state.

"The panels create a timeline dating back to 1860 and the QR codes show the interior of the Cathedral in its full grandeur and what we have today."

"We had noticed that tourists have been squeezing their phones through the gates to takes photos of the Cathedral."

"Through the QR codes they will now have access to photos, videos and a drone fly-through which will allow them to compare the past and present," he said.

The City Council has allocated a coach stop for tour buses in front of the fence.

View a video of Fr Rick Loughnan speaking about the new panels on the Cathedral fence.

Source

• www.chch.catholic.org.nz
• Image: Screenshot dropbox.com

"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 the process of appointing a new bishop was being organised by the papal nuncio, Archbishop Martin Krebs.

"I have no idea where the process is. The process is done in secret," Loughnan said.

"[Krebs] sets out to find who may be suitable. He draws up some names and then sends them out to people who might know those people."

"He sends three names to Rome where they are discussed by a congregation. They make a recommendation to the Pope, who makes the final decision."

The process could take "quite a long time".

Loughnan said they are going to propose to the new bishop that they restore the cathedral, possibly with some new lightweight materials in some places.

He says they are confident that they can raise money needed.

Consultants had been appointed to help with the fundraising effort for the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament along with parish buildings and new churches.

The diocese has about $30m for the $100m cathedral restoration project.

Loughnan said the remaining $70 million could be raised in the diocese, overseas and in the local community.

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• Image: facebook.com

The Christchurch diocese has 13 heritage churches in Canterbury and Westland closed because of earthquake damage.

The diocese believed the churches in Rangiora and Pleasant Point were beyond repair, but after advice from international architectural expert James McCrery, it will investigate retaining large parts of both.

The Pleasant Point church is a heritage two building. The Rangiora church is protected under the district plan.

Keith Beal, property manager for the Christchurch diocese, said McCrery had painted a more positive future for the churches.

"In Rangiora, we are going to investigate further the condition of the church to see if the option of remodelling is viable. If so this could retain much of the existing heritage," he said.

Issues at the Pleasant Point church arose from its bell tower, which was added after its construction without proper strengthening of the ground beneath.

The diocese would consider replacing the bell tower and keeping much of the church intact.

"The parish is seriously considering the option to incorporate significant parts of the existing church into a new design."

Other non heritage churches are expected to reopen shortly.

St Anne's Church in Woolston has opened again after it was closed in February 2011 due to earthquake issues.

The temporary works just completed focussed on strengthening of the rear wall, narthex and improving connections between the roof and main structure.

The original tower was removed after the earthquakes for safety and the area beneath has been made good with the placement of the cross where the tower previously stood.

St Peter's, Beckenham which will open on the Feast of Christ the King, on November 21.

St Matthew's, Bryndwr, could be open by early December.

A contract has just been let to replace two-thirds of the roof and add reinforcement around the walls to Our Lady of Assumption, Hoon Hay. It is expected to be open for Christmas.

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• chch.catholic.org.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz

American architect James McCrery arrived from Washington DC this week and saw the cathedral for the first time on Tuesday.

In an article in the NationaL Catholic Register McCrery is described as a man who "devotes his career to reversing a trend he describes as decades of church design that does little to glorify God or inspire the faithful."

"It's a big-time problem," McCrery said of architecture that dismisses centuries of Tradition and most symbolism of the Catholic religion."

"It's a gem of great classical architecture," McCrey said after visiting the Cathedral site.

"The world needs to know more about this grand building. It's absolutely magnificent."

"I can see a lot of damage through the broken windows, but I'm optimistic that there are portions of it that can be saved."

He said he was here to "foster a love and appreciation for tradition" and show local architects the building and other quake-damaged churches in the diocese could be repaired in a way reflecting the history of the church.

"Architects can't set that history aside," he said.

The restoration of the nave, if possible, would be a "huge amount of work".

He needed to look at the cathedral more closely to say whether or not he believed it could be saved, he said.

"I don't know yet but I hope my answer is 'yes' because it's magnificent, I mean who wants to erase this?"

Watch interview

McCrery founded his firm, McCrery Architects LLC, in 2007.

It has been commissioned to design a variety of traditional projects in The United States for both secular and Church clients.

Projects around Washington include the U.S. Supreme Court Book Store and the statue pedestal for President Reagan.

There is also a long and growing list of projects for Catholic churches all around the country, including a new 150,000 square foot Carmelite Monastery in Wyoming and a chapel on Boston Harbor for the Archdiocese of Boston.

McCrery is active in the American Institute of Architects, the Institute for Classical Architecture & Classical America, the National Civic Art Society, the Society for Catholic Liturgy, and the Supreme Court Historical Society.

Listen to interview

McCrery gave a public lecture at Villa Maria College on Wednesday evening.

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• ncregister.com
• bishopoconnell.org
• mccreryarchitects.com
• Image: Screenshot stuff.co.nz

In submissions lodged on the Christchurch Replacement District Plan (CRDP) the two dioceses argue the proposed planning rules focus too heavily on preserving heritage buildings at all costs and ignore the fact that sometimes full or partial demolition is the best course of action.

The dioceses appear to have collaborated on the submissions as some of the points made in them are almost identical.

The Catholic diocese, in its submission, said the provisions in the natural and cultural heritage chapter of the CRDP did not adequately recognise the extent to which some heritage buildings had suffered earthquake damage and the extensive repair works required for those buildings.

Under that chapter of the CRDP the council is proposing to put in place policies to protect important heritage buildings and places from inappropriate subdivision or development.

It has suggested using a two-tier system to identify those buildings and places that deserve to be protected because they are culturally or historically significant.

The Catholic diocese said while it accepted earthquake damage did not in itself justify deconstruction, there were a number of heritage buildings remaining where repairs were completely uneconomic, particularly for owners who did not derive a commercial income.

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• Image: Stuff.co.nz

After singing, a reading, and a prayer at the site, the congregation took the church's altar and sign and processed to St Peter's Anglican church nearby, where the sign would be installed and the rest of the service held.

The Catholics and Anglicans in Ward would have a close relationship, as do the Catholics and Presbyterians in nearby Seddon.

There, the Catholic church is shared with Presbyterians, whose St Andrew's church is to be demolished shortly. It was decommissioned last weekend.

Ward priest Fr Aidan Kay said that after the decommissioning, it was planned that everyone would go to the East Coast Tavern for refreshments.

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