Skyrocketing costs have caused the Taranaki Cathedral earthquake strengthening project in New Plymouth to come to an immediate halt in the face of a $8.5 million funding shortfall. Built in 1846, the Taranaki Cathedral Church of St Mary is New Zealand’s oldest stone church and was undergoing earthquake strengthening and upgrades. The project has a Read more
Posts Tagged ‘earthquake strengthening’
Taranaki Cathedral earthquake strengthening project on hold due to funding shortfall
Thursday, April 11th, 2024Timaru’s Sacred Heart Basilica strengthened and reopening
Monday, November 9th, 2020Timaru’s Sacred Heart Basilica is reopening for its first service since closing for earthquake strengthening nearly two years ago. Holy Family Parish priest Father Chris Friel said he and the parishioners were looking forward to Sunday’s mass, the first in the historic building since February 2019. Friel, who was ordained in the ornate church in Read more
Blessing starts $16.5 million Sacred Heart Cathedral project
Thursday, August 6th, 2020
Catholic Archbishop of Wellington Cardinal John Dew will bless construction workers, and the city’s Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in a ceremony at 10 am on Friday to mark the start of the cathedral project restoring and strengthening the Category I historic building. The classical-style cathedral in Hill St, Thorndon – designed by Dunedin Read more
Garage sale to raise funds for Timaru’s Sacred Heart Basilica
Thursday, May 30th, 2019
A garage sale was held in Timaru last Saturday to raise money for the Sacred Heart Basilica’s earthquake strengthening project, which began in early March. The project cost is $3.9 million. The parish and its community must raise $1.6m of this. Parish priest, Father Brian Fennessy, said that so far just over $1m has been Read more
Old St Paul’s in Wellington to close for seismic upgrade
Thursday, November 29th, 2018Old St Paul’s, the site of many historic events in Wellington, will close its doors next year for seismic strengthening. On Thursday, Heritage New Zealand confirmed the category 1 historic place will close between May and October 2019 in order to carry out the work. Continue reading
World premiere of documentary about strengthening of St Mary of Angels
Thursday, December 7th, 2017
A Test of Faith had its world premiere at the Embassy Theatre in Wellington on Thursday. The feature-length documentary is about the seismic strengthening of St Mary of the Angels church in central Wellington. Parish priest Father Barry Scannell, who features in the film, says it “beautifully captures” the scale and challenges of the $9.5 million rebuild. Read more
St Mary of the Angels – same but different
Thursday, April 20th, 2017
The most notable aspect of the restored St Mary of the Angels church is that it looks the same as it always did. The church was reopened and blessed by Cardinal John Dew, the Archbishop of Wellington, last week. It had been closed for almost 4 years to undergo earthquake strengthening. At the completion of Read more
St Mary of the Angels rebuild: City Council provides $400,000
Friday, November 20th, 2015
The Wellington City Council has agreed to provide $400,000 to help St Mary of the Angels church with its earthquake strengthening. Council staff had recommended giving the church $200,000 to help with its $9.3 million earthquake strengthening project. But city councillors increased their contribution to $400,000 on Thursday, and signalled as much as $500,000 be given Read more
Dunedin’s Basilica getting a make-over
Tuesday, June 9th, 2015
Tented scaffolding has been erected around St Patrick’s Basilica in Macandrew Rd, Dunedin, as part of a $1.7 million preservation project. St Patrick’s redevelopment committee chairman Sean Toomey says the current work involves earthquake-strengthening, removing the roof to fix leaks and install new damp-proof floors. The work on the Basilica is part of a redevelopment Read more
Video: Earthquake strengthening of St Mary of the Angels
Tuesday, May 12th, 2015Generous donors helped raised the $3.1 million required to begin the earthquake strengthening of St Mary of the Angels in March. Another $6.2m is needed by 2027