Christchurch Catholic Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christchurch Catholic Cathedral |
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|---|---|
| 43°32′18″S 172°38′47″E / 43.5383°S 172.6464°E | |
| Location | Christchurch Central City |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Design and naming |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Cathedral |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1,000 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Christchurch |
The Christchurch Catholic Cathedral is a new church being planned for Christchurch, New Zealand. It will replace the old Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. The old cathedral was badly damaged by big earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. It was taken down in 2020. This new cathedral will be the main church for all Catholic churches in the Christchurch area, known as the Christchurch Diocese. At first, the new church was going to be built in a different spot. But on April 21, 2024, Bishop Michael Gielen announced it would be built on the same land where the old cathedral once stood.
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Planning the New Cathedral
After the earthquakes, there was a lot of discussion about what to do with the damaged old cathedral. On August 4, 2019, Bishop Martin said that the old Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament would be taken down. This was a different idea from Bishop Barry Jones, who wanted to fix the old church.
New plans for the cathedral were shared on December 7, 2019. These plans included working with other groups like Ōtākaro Limited and the Carter Group. This big project was expected to cost around NZ$500 million. It included new offices for the church, a fancy hotel, and a large parking building. The goal was to finish everything by 2026.
How Much Will it Cost?
The part of the project for the Catholic church was planned to cost NZ$100 million. About NZ$40 million of this was for building the cathedral itself. The rest of the money would be used for church offices, a garden, and parking. The Diocese had already used NZ$45 million from its earthquake fund. They also planned to sell some land they no longer needed to help pay for the building.
Where Will it Be Built?
Even though land was bought for a new location, it was announced in April 2024 that the cathedral will go back to its original home. It will be built on the same spot where the old cathedral stood before the earthquakes. The land that was bought for the first new site will now be sold.
Designing the Cathedral
Who Will Design It?
Two companies are working together to design the new cathedral. One is Warren and Mahoney Architects, a local company from Christchurch. The other is Franck & Lohsen Architects from the United States. Franck & Lohsen are known for designing churches in a traditional style all over the world.
Bishop Martin explained why this company was chosen. He said, "I am looking for us to build something that is more traditional rather than something modern. It needs to tap into why people loved the [cathedral]. People loved the [cathedral] because of the style and elegance." This means the new church will likely look similar to older, classic cathedrals.
