Director of music Michael Stewart said that while the cathedral appeared to have made it through unscathed the organ, worth millions of dollars, had suffered "significant damage".

"We've spent the morning here picking pipes up off the floor and rearranging things. Basically the earthquake shook a lot of the pipes off brackets which have crashed onto other pipes, so it's a bit of a mess at the moment to be honest," Stewart said.

The large pipes caused a lot of damage. We're very lucky that this did not occur at another time and that no-one was hurt," he said.

The original organ was built by the English firm of T C Lewis and Company, and installed in Old St. Paul's in 1877.

It was a fine example of that famous builder's work, and was a two-manual tracker blown by a water engine.

It was rebuilt and enlarged in the 1930s by Lawton and Osborne of Auckland. A new choir organ was added, and the tracker action was replaced by exhaust pneumatic.

In 1964 the organ was moved to the new Cathedral by George Croft and Son of Auckland where it served the Cathedral music until 1976 when Crofts were entrusted with the work of rebuilding and enlarging the instrument to cathedral proportions.

"It has withstood everything from then until now. It's too early to say how much it will cost to repair the organ.

Some parts will be salvageable, other parts are completely destroyed, bent out of recognition," Stewart said.

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• wellingtoncathedral.org.nz
• Image: teara.govt.nz

He was installed at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, surrounded by leaders of the Central Baptist Church in Palmerston North, where he previously served.

He described the service as "the first steps of an unexpected journey" for him and his family.

Digby is an ordained Anglican priest but has spent most of the past 20 years in the Baptist Church.

He says he aims to get to know Wellington's people and culture, as part of the church's role is to represent those in its community.

"The challenge of it is keeping people together on a commonsense of purpose, despite the differences and diversity. But also presenting some sense of hope in all the context in which people find themselves."

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• NewsTalkZB
• Image: Anglican Taonga

The service, which begins at 12:30pm in St Paul's Cathedral will be jointly hosted by The Very Reverend Frank Nelson (Dean of St Paul's) and Fr James Lyons (Parish Priest of the Catholic Sacred Heart Cathedral).

There will be short prayers and music from the combined choirs of the cathedrals, and an opportunity for people to light candles in memory of those who died or were injured in Christchurch last February.

The anniversary coincides with Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent, the annual Christian penitential season that ends on Easter Day. Those who wish will be able to receive the ashes, which are marked on the forehead in the form of a cross and symbolise undying hope in the midst of loss and suffering.