Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Christchurch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christchurch Basilica |
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| Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament | |
Cathedral as it appeared in 2005
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 Christchurch Basilica
Location in Christchurch, New Zealand
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| 43°32′18″S 172°38′46″E / 43.5383°S 172.6460°E | |
| Location | Christchurch Central City |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| History | |
| Consecrated | 12 February 1905 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Demolished |
| Heritage designation | Category I (7 April 1983) |
| Architect(s) | Francis Petre |
| Architectural type | Cathedral |
| Style | Renaissance Revival |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Christchurch |
The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, often called the Christchurch Basilica, was an important Catholic church in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was the main church for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch and where the Bishop of Christchurch had his official seat.
Designed by the famous architect Francis Petre, many people thought it was the most beautiful Renaissance-style building in New Zealand. It was even listed as a top heritage site in 1983. People saw it as an amazing example of church design and Petre's best work.
Sadly, the cathedral had to close after the big 2010 Canterbury earthquake in September 2010. Then, in February 2011, another strong earthquake hit Christchurch. This quake caused the two bell towers at the front of the cathedral to fall down. It also damaged the large dome. After this, the dome was removed, and the back part of the cathedral was taken down.
The decision to completely demolish the cathedral was announced in August 2019. The demolition work finished in 2021. In December 2019, the Catholic Bishop of Christchurch, Paul Martin, shared plans for a new $85 million cathedral. This new church would hold up to 1,000 people and was planned to be ready by 2025, built near Victoria Square. These plans caused some debate among church members. However, in December 2023, Bishop Michael Gielen announced that rebuilding the cathedral at its original Barbadoes Street site is now the preferred choice, with a final decision expected in March 2024.
Contents
Building the Cathedral: A Look Back
The story of the cathedral began in October 1860. A small wooden chapel was built on Barbadoes Street for new Marist priests. This chapel was replaced by a bigger wooden church in 1864, designed by Benjamin Mountfort. This church grew over time.
In 1887, when the Diocese of Christchurch was created, this wooden church became the temporary main church. Bishop John Grimes, the first Catholic bishop of Christchurch, knew a new, grander cathedral was needed for the growing number of Catholics.
Raising Money for the New Church
Bishop Grimes traveled to Rome in 1897. He met Pope Leo XIII, who gave him special gifts to help raise money for the new cathedral. Grimes then spent 18 months traveling through Europe, the United States, and Canada. He preached and asked for donations everywhere he went. He managed to collect over £3,000 for the cathedral fund, which was a lot of money back then! He returned to Christchurch in January 1899.
Around this time, architect Francis Petre was working on another big church in Wellington. Bishop Grimes likely asked Petre to design the Christchurch Cathedral. Petre chose a Roman basilica style. He believed this style was better than Gothic because it would be less risky in an earthquake and cheaper to build. The old wooden church was moved, and construction of the new cathedral began in 1901.
Building such a large church needed huge amounts of money. Bishop Grimes constantly toured his diocese, asking people to donate. There were also challenges finding the right stone, which caused money problems. Even the Premier, Richard Seddon, helped by passing a special law to assist with funding.
The Catholic community in Christchurch was not very large or wealthy compared to other groups. Yet, they managed to complete the cathedral for about £52,000. This showed how much their faith meant to them. Bishop Grimes said at the opening on 12 February 1905, just four years after construction started: "No one can claim that our stately Cathedral is the work of the wealthy. It is the fruit of the hard earnings of the poor and the lowly."
How the Cathedral Was Built
The cathedral was built by Jamieson and Sons, a company that constructed many other important buildings in New Zealand. Francis Petre had experience using concrete, which was quite new for buildings like this. He used innovative methods, like pouring concrete for the inner walls and then covering them with stone.
Many parts of the building were mass-produced, including curved arches made by a special machine. About 50 workers were on site. They used a huge amount of stone (over 120,000 cubic feet), concrete (4,000 cubic feet), and steel (90 tons). After it was finished, the cathedral, made of concrete covered in Oamaru limestone, was highly praised. The famous writer George Bernard Shaw even called Petre a "New Zealand Brunelleschi" after seeing it.
The Cathedral's Design
Instead of the popular Gothic style of the 1800s, Petre designed the new church in a Renaissance, Italian basilica style. One unique feature was the green copper-roofed dome. Instead of placing it in the middle of the church, like in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Petre put it directly over the altar area. He felt this design, along with the Byzantine apse, made the main altar look even more grand.
The main hall (nave) and the altar area (chancel) had roofs supported by rows of Ionic columns. The front of the cathedral had two towers, similar to many large Renaissance churches in Europe.
Some people compared the cathedral's outside look to St Paul's Cathedral in London. However, a big influence might have been the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. This French church has a very similar layout, including the dome placed over the altar. Francis Petre was a student at a school in Boulogne-sur-Mer when this church was being rebuilt.
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Many people admired the cathedral's exterior. The dome looked especially majestic from the back, rising above the flat landscape of Christchurch, much like Brunelleschi's dome in Florence. George Bernard Shaw, during his visit in 1934, was very impressed by Petre's Catholic cathedral.
The inside of the cathedral was also beautiful. Petre was skilled at using natural light, making the nave and sanctuary bright and airy. The tall Corinthian and Ionic columns along the nave were impressive. The dome over the sanctuary was the highlight of the interior, showing the full power of Petre's design. It was considered his greatest achievement.
The Earthquakes and Their Impact
The 2010 Canterbury earthquake on 4 September 2010, which was a magnitude 7.1 earthquake, forced the cathedral to close. It needed major repairs and strengthening. Church services were moved to other places nearby.
Then, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit on 22 February 2011. This caused huge damage. The two bell towers at the front of the building collapsed, bringing down much of the front wall. Large pieces of stone crushed cars outside. There were also big cracks around the main dome. The beautiful stained glass windows, which had survived the first earthquake, were now shattered.
The cathedral administrator, Charles Drennan, said that engineers thought it was unlikely the building could be saved. Workers who were repairing the earlier damage managed to escape, as did a caretaker inside the cathedral. Drennan described the screams of children from a nearby school as the earthquake hit, saying it would stay with him. He and other priests were having lunch when the shaking started and had to hide under the table.
The building was described as "quite humbled." On the collapsed front, only a cross remained standing, pointing to the sky. The priests had to leave the nearby rectory for safety reasons. The damaged cathedral also threatened parts of Catholic Cathedral College, forcing the college to move to another school temporarily.
What Happened Next
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On 2 March, Bishop Barry Jones decided that the cathedral's dome had to be removed. An inspection showed that another strong earthquake could make it fall completely. The dome was pushing outwards on the supporting structures. The removal was a risky job, done by cranes from a distance. The bishop said no decisions about the building's future would be made until a full engineering report was ready after the dome was gone.
After the June 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the dome was indeed removed. The outer copper dome was cut into pieces and taken down in July. The inner decorative dome was removed in August. The damaged back part of the cathedral was demolished in October.
A Symbol of Hope
A statue of the Virgin Mary in the north tower of the cathedral turned 180 degrees during the February earthquake. Instead of facing inside, it was looking out over the damaged city. It became a symbol of survival. On 29 May 2011, the statue was carried around the damaged cathedral in a religious ceremony. After circling the grounds, the Bishop of Christchurch dedicated the city to Mary. The statue had been repaired by Carmelite nuns just in time for the procession.
Decisions About the Future
Fully restoring the cathedral was estimated to cost over $100 million, while building a new one might cost $40 million.
By May 2012, the Catholic diocese had spent about $3 million carefully taking down damaged parts of the cathedral. They cleaned, saved, and numbered stones, windows, and other unique pieces. These were moved to a storage facility, kept in the best possible condition, in case they could be used in a rebuild or to guide new designs. The future of the cathedral was part of a bigger plan for 20 damaged churches in the Christchurch Catholic Diocese.
In May 2015, it was announced that more of the front and altar areas would be taken down. This was to see if the nave (the main hall), which seemed less damaged, could be kept and included in a new building. This plan would cost about $45 million and take four years. In October 2016, the investigation showed that the cathedral could be saved and rebuilt, but it would cost $100 million. The final decision was left to the new Bishop of Christchurch, Paul Martin, appointed in 2018.
A New Beginning
On 4 August 2019, Bishop Martin announced that the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament would be demolished. The cost to fully rebuild it was $149 million. Even just saving the nave and building a smaller church would cost over $91 million. The bishop said these costs were too high for the diocese. He explained that they had looked at more than 20 different options but couldn't find a solution that made financial sense. So, the 113-year-old earthquake-damaged basilica had to be taken down.
On 7 December 2019, Bishop Martin announced plans for a new $85 million Catholic cathedral. It would be built near Victoria Square and hold up to 1,000 people, aiming to be finished by 2025. The project also included plans for hotels, a relocated St Mary's Primary School, a car park, community spaces, church offices, and housing for clergy. Part of the funding would come from the church's earthquake insurance claim. The rest would be raised through donations and selling other church properties, possibly even the old Barbadoes Street site. Demolition of the old cathedral began on 1 September 2020 and took about a year.
Cathedral Music: Choir and Orchestra
| Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament Music | |
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| Choir and orchestra | |
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| Short name | CBS Music |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Location | Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Concert hall | Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament (1969–2010), St Mary's Pro-Cathedral (2010–) |
| Principal conductor | Don Whelan |
The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament Music (CBS Music) group provides music for church services. Before the earthquakes, they were based at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Now, they perform at St Mary's Pro-Cathedral. CBS Music is connected to the RSCM New Zealand.
The choir was first formed in 1969 by Don Whelan. He started working with Dutch immigrants who were good at singing in parts. Whelan became a skilled organist and organized the choir and singers (cantors). When an organist was needed for the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Whelan took the opportunity, and the CBS Choir was officially formed.
The CBS choir and orchestra have traveled internationally. In 1990–1991, during their first tour to Europe, the New Zealand Government recognized them as cultural ambassadors. On a later European tour, they were even invited to lead the singing at the Pope's Midnight Mass in Rome.
After the 2010 earthquake, the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament was badly damaged and closed. Services moved to a nearby chapel. When the 2011 earthquake hit, both the chapel and the music center were also badly damaged and later demolished. The CBS then built a new, modern facility at St Mary's Pro-Cathedral for their music library, offices, and practice hall.
Even with the earthquakes, the choir and orchestra continued their annual New Zealand tours. They also went on their first Asian tour in 2012 and more tours to Australia and Europe in 2013 and 2015. In October 2019, CBS members celebrated 50 years of Don Whelan's leadership.
In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Catholic bishops in New Zealand temporarily stopped Masses and closed churches. This meant the CBS program, including concerts and weekly performances, was paused for the first time ever. However, on 14 June, the CBS was able to restart their program, celebrating the cathedral's feast day. Their "Wednesdays at One" music program also resumed in July 2020.
Concerts and Performances
"Wednesdays at One" is a weekly concert series hosted by the CBS. It features local and national musicians of all ages performing music on various instruments.
The CBS also holds annual concerts:
- Bach's St John Passion is performed on Good Friday.
- Handel's Messiah is performed in mid-December.
- In June, for the Diocese's Feast Day, a special concert is given, often featuring a Mass performance. For example, in 2019, Missa Corpus Christi by John Ritchie was performed.
On the first Sunday of each month (except January), the choir performs with an orchestra. On other Sundays, the choir sings different types of church music, including traditional chants. Orchestral Masses are also performed at Christmas Vigil and Midnight Mass.
Key People
Here are some of the main people in CBS Music:
- Director of Music: Don Whelan (1969–present)
- Assistant Director of Music:
- Simon Mace (2018–2019)
- Nicholas Sutcliffe (2019–present)
- Cantor: Wally Enright
- Concertmaster: Natalia M. Lomeiko
Burials at the Cathedral
Several important people were buried at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament:
- John Grimes, the first Catholic Bishop of Christchurch.
- Edward Joyce, the fourth Catholic Bishop of Christchurch.
- John Jerome Cunneen, the eighth Catholic Bishop of Christchurch.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral del Santísimo Sacramento (Christchurch) para niños
- Christchurch Catholic Cathedral, the proposed new cathedral
- St Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Christchurch, the temporary main church
- List of basilicas in New Zealand
- List of buildings by Francis Petre
Images for kids
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The Cathedral (in 2009) with the Sisters of Our Lady of the Mission Chapel (later demolished in 2011) in the background
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Detail of the front façade (in 2009). The central pediment was in the style of Sebastiano Serlio.
