Cathedral of St Stephen, Brisbane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Stephen's Cathedral |
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| Cathedral of St Stephen | |
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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's the main church for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane. It's also where the archbishop has his special chair, called a cathedra. St Stephen's was first planned to be a temporary church. There were ideas for a much bigger church called the Holy Name Cathedral, but it was never built.
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The Story of St Stephen's Cathedral
This beautiful cathedral is named after Saint Stephen, who lived a long time ago. It stands in Brisbane, surrounded by Elizabeth, Charlotte, Creek, and Edward Streets.
In 1861, James Quinn, the first bishop of Brisbane, arrived from Ireland. He quickly decided to build a large cathedral. This was needed because more and more people were joining the church.
On December 26, 1863, which is Saint Stephen's Day, Bishop Quinn laid the first stone. This was for a grand cathedral designed by Benjamin Backhouse. However, only the foundations were built at that time.
Later, Richard George Suter was asked to design a smaller church. This new design used some of the existing foundations. The main part of the church, called the nave, was built between 1870 and 1874. The front parts and tall spires were finished in 1884.
No more building happened until James Duhig became the archbishop in 1917. He still hoped to build the new, larger Holy Name Cathedral. But he also hired architects Hennessy & Hennessy to finish St Stephen's. They added the crossing, transepts, and sanctuary in a simpler style. This work was done from 1920 to 1922.
What Does the Cathedral Look Like?
St Stephen's is built in the Gothic Revival style. This means it looks like the grand churches from the Middle Ages. From above, it has a cross shape.
Even though it's considered a simpler cathedral, it has many amazing features. You can see its tall sandstone towers with spires on top. Inside, there are beautiful stained glass windows that came all the way from Munich.
The cathedral also has a large organ and a special altar. At the back, there's a newer area called the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. One very special stained glass window is by Harry Clarke. It's called the "Mayne" window and is above the altar on the east wall.
The cathedral is mostly made 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 a modern material called glass reinforced concrete.
When the sun shines, the stained glass windows light up the inside. They create colorful patterns on the floor and walls. Some windows are small, showing gentle pictures of Jesus. The huge window over the main door shows Jesus going up to heaven. It fills the whole space with its beauty. The ceilings inside are made of lightweight plaster and curve gracefully. The inside of the cathedral feels cool and peaceful, which is a nice contrast to the outside.
Giving the Cathedral a Makeover
By the 1980s, the cathedral was starting to show its age. It needed a lot of repairs. Also, the way the inside was set up didn't quite fit the newer ways of Catholic worship.
It became clear that the Holy Name Cathedral, which only had its underground part built in 1934, would not be finished. So, the church leaders decided to give St Stephen's a big makeover. This project aimed to keep the original building strong. But it also replaced all the furniture and inside decorations.
As part of this big project, the cathedral's grounds were made larger. A car park was built underneath the extended east end of the cathedral. The very last part of the cathedral's restoration was finished in 2000. That's when the Jubilee Pipe Organ was put in above the altar area.
Buildings Around the Cathedral
Besides the main cathedral, there are other important buildings on the site. These buildings help support the cathedral and the work of the Archdiocese of Brisbane.
St Stephen's Chapel is right next to the cathedral. It's also known as 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 main church for Brisbane's first Bishop. It is the oldest Catholic church in all of Queensland.
Old St Stephen's School is a three-story building facing Charlotte Street. This building was once home to St Stephen's School. The school was there until the 1960s. Today, this building holds offices for the Archdiocese of Brisbane.
The Francis Rush Centre was finished in July 2005. This two-story building is where the cathedral's main office is located. It also has offices for the bishops. There's a room for the choir and several rooms for meetings and events. A new outdoor area for church services was also built here. This space is used for special events like Easter and Palm Sunday.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de San Esteban (Brisbane) para niños
