Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Christ Church Cathedral
Cathedral Church of Christ
Crossing tower and spire from the cloisters
Christ Church Cathedral Location in Oxfordshire
51°45′00″N 1°15′17″W / 51.75°N 1.2547°W / 51.75; -1.2547
Location	Oxford, Oxfordshire
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Church of England
Previous denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	chch.ox.ac.uk/cathedral
History
Status	Active
Architecture
Functional status	Cathedral
Heritage designation	Grade I listed
Designated	12 January 1954
Style	Romanesque, Gothic
Years built	1160–1200
Administration
Diocese	Oxford (since 1546)
Province	Canterbury

Christ Church Cathedral is a special church in Oxford, England. It serves two important roles at the same time. It is the main church, or cathedral, for the Anglican diocese of Oxford. This area covers the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Berkshire.

It is also the chapel for Christ Church, which is a college of the famous University of Oxford. This dual role, being both a cathedral and a college chapel, is unique in the Church of England. This means the Dean of Christ Church leads both the college and the church.

History of Christ Church Cathedral
People Who Lead the Cathedral
Music at the Cathedral
Famous People Buried or Remembered Here
Gallery
Images for kids
See also

History of Christ Church Cathedral

The cathedral building was originally a church for a priory, which is a type of monastery. This priory was called St Frideswide's Priory. People believe it was built where St Frideswide, the patron saint of Oxford, founded a nunnery long ago. Her shrine, a special place for relics, is still in the Latin Chapel. People used to visit it on pilgrimages for hundreds of years.

In 1522, a powerful leader named Cardinal Thomas Wolsey took over the priory. He wanted to build a new college there. However, in 1529, King Henry VIII took control of the project. Work stopped for a while.

In 1532, King Henry VIII restarted the college. Then, in 1546, he moved the main church of the Oxford area (called the See of Oxford) from Osney to this new college. That's how it became a cathedral. King Henry VIII gave it the name Ecclesia Christi Cathedralis Oxoniensis, which means "The Cathedral Church of Christ at Oxford."

A choir has been part of the cathedral since 1526. John Taverner was the first organist and choir master. The original plans for the college, called Cardinal College, included 16 boy singers (choristers) and 30 singing priests.

Christ Church Cathedral is one of the smaller cathedrals in the Church of England. The main parts of the church, like the nave, choir, and towers, were built in the late Norman style. You can see different building styles, from Norman to Perpendicular, and a large, beautiful rose window.

John Wesley and Charles Wesley, who later started the Methodist movement, were ordained as priests at Christ Church Cathedral. This happened when they were still part of the Anglican Church.

This memorial in Christ Church Cathedral honors John Wesley and Charles Wesley. They were leaders of the Methodist movement and were ordained here.

People Who Lead the Cathedral

The cathedral is led by a group of people called the Dean and Chapter.

The Dean is currently Sarah Foot. She started this role in July 2023.
The Archdeacon of Oxford is Jonathan Chaffey.
The Sub-Dean is Peter Moger.
The Diocesan Canon is Sally Welch.
The Precentor is Philippa White.

Some important professors from the university's theology department are also part of this leadership group. In September 2023, a decision was made to separate the Dean's church role from their role as head of the college.

Music at the Cathedral

Music is a very important part of Christ Church Cathedral.

The Organ

The cathedral has a large organ with 43 different sets of pipes. It was built in 1979 by an Austrian company called Rieger Orgelbau. It has four keyboards for the hands and one for the feet.

Famous Organists

Many talented musicians have been organists at Christ Church Cathedral. The first organist, appointed in 1526, was the famous Renaissance composer John Taverner. Other well-known organists include Basil Harwood, Thomas Armstrong, W. H. Harris, Simon Preston, and Stephen Darlington. The current organist is Steven Grahl. In many English cathedrals, the organist also leads the choir.

The Choirs

The main choir is called the Christ Church Cathedral Choir. It is led by Steven Grahl. This choir has twelve adult singers (six professionals and six students) and sixteen boy singers (choristers) aged 7–13. These boys come from Christ Church Cathedral School. Until 2019, the choir was all male. Then, Elizabeth Nurse became the first female singer. The choir sings during university terms, at Christmas and Easter. They also travel and make recordings. A famous former chorister is the composer William Walton.

The Cathedral Singers is another choir made up of volunteers. They usually sing when the main choir is on holiday. This choir is directed by Hilary Punnett.

The College Choir sings every one to two weeks during term time. It is made up of university students from the college.

Since 2019, there has also been a choir for girls aged 7–14 called Frideswide Voices. These girls come from different schools around Oxford. They sing a special evening service once a week. Helen Smee directs this choir.

The Bells

The cathedral has a set of 12 bells that can be rung in a special way called full circle ringing. The largest bell, called the tenor, weighs about 3,100 kilograms (6,800 pounds). It was made in 1589 and is very old and important. Two other bells, numbers 10 and 9, are also very old, made around 1410.

Besides these 12 bells, there are two other special bells. One is the litany bell, also from around 1410. The other is a very large bell called Bourdon bell, or Great Tom. This bell was made in 1680 and weighs about 12,400 kilograms (27,300 pounds)! Great Tom is only swung on very rare occasions, but it is rung every night.

Famous People Buried or Remembered Here

Many notable people are buried or have memorials at Christ Church Cathedral.

Robert Burton, who wrote a famous book called The Anatomy of Melancholy.
George Berkeley, a well-known philosopher and bishop.
John Fell, who was a Bishop of Oxford.
Henry Liddell, the father of Alice Liddell, who inspired the book Alice in Wonderland.
Edward Bouverie Pusey, an important religious leader.

The famous philosopher John Locke is buried elsewhere, but there is a special engraved stone on the floor of the church to remember him.