A packed Sacred Heart Cathedral in Wellington reopened on Friday with Archbishop Paul Martin leading a Mass of Thanksgiving. The Cathedral had been closed for six years for earthquake strengthening and extensive renovations and was a significant moment for the local church community. The Mass also marked three days of celebrations. Hope for the future Read more
The Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington is looking for a partner to buy and develop some land next to the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. The sale includes the now-empty Catholic Centre, the Archbishop’s residence, the parish house, and surrounds. Earlier, Wel-Com, the Archdiocesan newspaper, reported that PwC is managing the process. Ideally placed and Read more
The altar from St Gerard’s Church in Wellington has found a new home at the city’s Catholic Sacred Heart Cathedral. St Gerard’s – a distinctive, category one, heritage-listed church and monastery building – was sold for almost $17 million to a secret buyer earlier this year. Since the sale, St Gerard’s former owner, the Institute Read more
Newly installed Archbishop of Wellington, Paul Martin, issued a call to action to the Archdiocese of Wellington. “If the Church is going to do anything, it has to be us who do it,” he said, emphasising the importance of individual and collective responsibility in the Church’s mission. “The church doesn’t exist in some ethereal domain Read more
A Catholic priest’s artwork has topped the bids in a fund-raiser for restoring Wellington’s Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Father David Orange’s painting of Wellington Harbour, “Dawn at Wellington”, sold for $3500. He says his love of the city and its harbour inspired him to paint the scene in 2019. The online art auction Read more
Soldiers from the Myanmar military forcibly took control of a Catholic cathedral in Mandalay and detained an archbishop along with dozens of worshippers. Approximately 40 soldiers entered Sacred Heart Cathedral before a Lenten prayer service on Friday, April 8. They refused to allow worshipers to leave. The soldiers also occupied other buildings on the compound. Read more
Tears flowed freely when Sacred Heart Cathedral parish farewelled its music director Michael Fletcher. Fletcher was the Director of Music at the cathedral for the past ten years. The occasion followed his final choral Mass on Sunday 14 March with tributes from choristers and parishioners emphasising Michael’s outstanding contribution to the cathedral, particularly in music Read more
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
The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart and of Saint Mary His Mother in Hill Street, Thorndon, Wellington, popularly known as The Basilica has received a grant of $120,000 to assist in its $3.3 million strengthening project. The grant is a “one-off” ‘out of round’ contribution from the Wellington City Council’s Built Heritage Incentive Fund. Read more
Sacred Heart Cathedral in Thorndon, Wellington, closed its doors on Friday. An assessment has found the building’s structural integrity to be just 15 per cent of the standard for a new building. This means there would be a significant risk to occupants if there was an earthquake. While Sacred Heart Cathedral is closed, weekday masses Read more