Cathedral of St Stephen, Brisbane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Stephen's Cathedral |
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| Cathedral of St Stephen | |
Cathedral of St Stephen, Brisbane, west front
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| 27°28′07″S 153°01′44″E / 27.4687°S 153.0289°E | |
| Country | Australia |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Cathedral |
| Consecrated | 17 May 1874 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Benjamin Backhouse |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 26 December 1863 |
| Completed | 1989 |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Brisbane |
The Cathedral of St Stephen is a very old and important church in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is the main church for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane. This means it is where the archbishop (a very senior church leader) has his official seat.
St Stephen's was first planned to be a temporary church. There were ideas to build a much bigger church called the Holy Name Cathedral. However, that larger cathedral was never finished. So, St Stephen's became the permanent main church.
Contents
History of the Cathedral
The cathedral is in the city of Brisbane. It is located between Elizabeth, Charlotte, Creek, and Edward Streets. In 1861, James Quinn arrived from Ireland. He was the first bishop of Brisbane. He quickly decided to build a large cathedral. This was because more and more people were joining the church.
On December 26, 1863, Bishop Quinn laid the first stone. This day is known as the Feast of St Stephen. The first design for the grand cathedral was by Benjamin Backhouse. But only the foundations were built at first.
Later, R George Suter designed a smaller church. It used some of the existing foundations. The main part of the church, called the nave, was built from 1870 to 1874. The front parts and tall spires were finished in 1884.
Not much more building happened until James Duhig became archbishop in 1917. He still hoped to build the new Holy Name Cathedral. But he also hired architects Hennessy, Hennessy & Co. They helped finish St Stephen's with a simpler design. This included the crossing, transepts, and sanctuary. These parts were built between 1920 and 1922.
What the Cathedral Looks Like
St Stephen's is a Gothic Revival style cathedral. This means it looks like old European churches. It has a cross shape when you look at it from above. Even though it's a simpler cathedral, it has many amazing features.
These features include its tall sandstone towers with spires. It also has beautiful stained glass windows. These windows were brought all the way from Munich, Germany. The church also has a large organ and a special altar. There is also a newer Blessed Sacrament Chapel at the back.
One very special stained glass window is by Harry Clarke. It is known as the "Mayne" window. You can find it above the sanctuary on the east wall. The cathedral is mostly built from a type of stone called Brisbane tuff and freestone. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel is made from strong concrete. The restored spires are made from glass-reinforced concrete.
Inside the cathedral, the stained glass windows glow brightly in the sun. They create colorful patterns on the floor and walls. Some windows are small, showing pictures of Christ and his followers. The large window above the main door is very tall. It shows Christ going up to heaven. Its beauty fills the whole space. The light plaster ceilings curve beautifully overhead. The inside of the cathedral feels cool and peaceful.
Fixing and Updating the Cathedral
By the 1980s, the cathedral needed a lot of repairs. Also, the inside layout was not right for new Catholic liturgy (church services). It became clear that the planned Holy Name Cathedral would not be built. Its construction had stopped in 1934.
So, the church decided to fix and update St Stephen's. This big project involved keeping the original building. But all the furniture and inside decorations were replaced. The church grounds were also made larger. A car park was built under the extended east end of the cathedral. The last part of the restoration was finished in 2000. That is when the Jubilee Pipe Organ was put in above the sanctuary.
Cathedral Grounds
Besides the main cathedral, the area has other important buildings. These buildings help support the cathedral and the Archdiocese of Brisbane.
St Stephen's Chapel is right next to the cathedral. It is also called Old St Stephen's Church. This chapel was designed by an English architect named Augustus Pugin. It was built between 1847 and 1850. The first church service was held there on May 12, 1850. In June 1859, it became the first cathedral for Brisbane's bishop. It is the oldest Catholic church in Queensland.
Old St Stephen's School is a three-story building. It faces Charlotte Street. This building was St Stephen's School until the 1960s. Now, it has offices for the Archdiocese of Brisbane.
The Francis Rush Centre was finished in July 2005. This two-story building holds the cathedral's offices. It also has offices for the bishops and a choir room. There are also several rooms for events and meetings. A new outdoor area for church services was also built. This space is used for special events like Easter and Palm Sunday.
Music at the Cathedral
The cathedral has three choirs. They sing in the north part of the church called the transept. From there, their music can be heard clearly throughout the main area. They sing for church services and help lead the congregation in singing hymns.
The main cathedral choir started in 1970. It is an all-male choir, following an English tradition. This choir sings at the 10:00 am mass every Sunday. They take a break during school holidays in June, July, September, and January. They also sing at major events like Easter, Christmas, and ordinations (when new priests are made).
The choir has been very good for over 30 years. They have made many recordings. Their most recent recording was of traditional Christmas carols.
Besides the main choir, there is also a group called The Schola of the Cathedral of St Stephen. This group was formed in 2000. It is made up of professional singers. The Schola sings at the 12:00 pm Mass every Sunday. They also join the main choir for big events. Both the cathedral choir and The Schola are led by Christopher Trikilis. He is the cathedral's director of music.
The cathedral also has a community choir. It has about 20 singers and is called St Stephen's Chorale. This choir sings at the noon Mass once a month. The chorale is led by the cathedral's sub-organist, Gregory Mayer.
Images for kids
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Nave looking east to the high altar
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de San Esteban (Brisbane) para niños
