St Mary's Cathedral, Wellington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Cathedral |
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St Mary's Cathedral in the 1880s, prior to its destruction
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| 41°16′36″S 174°46′34″E / 41.2766°S 174.7762°E | |
| Location | Thorndon, Wellington Central City |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Previous denomination | Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Cathedral (first church) (1851 – 1898) |
| Founded | 1851 |
| Founder(s) | Philippe Viard, 1st Bishop of Wellington |
| Consecrated | 7 December 1851 (the feast of the Immaculate Conception) |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Destroyed by fire |
| Architect(s) | Christian Julius Toxward |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1850 |
| Completed | 1867 |
| Demolished | 1898 (by fire) |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 500 |
| Length | 33 metres (108 ft) |
| Nave length | 21 metres (70 ft) |
| Width | 18 metres (58 ft) |
| Nave width | 6.1 metres (20 ft) |
| Height | 32 metres (106 ft) |
| Nave height | 12 metres (40 ft) |
| Materials | Predominately New Zealand timber, such as tōtara and rimu; slate and lead |
St Mary's Cathedral was an important Catholic cathedral in Wellington, New Zealand. It was finished in 1851. This church was the main church for the Catholic community in Wellington. It was also where the Catholic Bishop of Wellington had his special seat. Sadly, the building was destroyed by a fire in 1898.
When it was fully built in 1867, St Mary's Cathedral was thought to be one of the best churches in the whole colony. It was a famous building in Wellington. Because it was on Golder's Hill in Thorndon, people could see it from many parts of the city. They could also see it from around the Wellington Harbour. People especially loved its beautiful, golden statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This statue was high up on the tower. The golden crosses on its roof and tower were also much admired.
Contents
Choosing the Spot
On May 1, 1850, the first bishop of Wellington, Philippe Joseph Viard, arrived in the city. Within three weeks, money collected by Catholics was ready for him. He used this money to buy the land for the new cathedral in Thorndon. Today, this same spot is home to Sacred Heart Cathedral, Wellington and Sacred Heart Cathedral School.
Bishop Viard also chose two nearby sections of land for his mission. These sections, on Hawkestone Street, were given by Hon. Henry Petre. They are now where St Mary's College stands. In 1853, the bishop officially owned all three pieces of land.
Opening the Cathedral
On September 8, 1850, a beautiful, calm day, Bishop Viard laid the foundation stone for the new church. This day was the birthday of Mary, a special feast day. Over 2,000 people came to watch the ceremony.
The Cathedral of St Mary was ready enough to be blessed and opened for worship on Sunday, December 7, 1851. This was the day before the feast of the Immaculate Conception. The bishop wanted to open it then because the cathedral was dedicated to Mary under that name. A newspaper reporter said the blessing and Mass took more than four hours.
The Cathedral's Neighbours
When the cathedral was first built, Hill Street did not exist. People had to get to the site from Hawkestone Street. The area was quite rural and a bit lonely. Wellington was growing more along the Lambton Quay shore and towards Te Aro.
However, things changed after the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 was passed. The buildings for the Wellington Provincial Council were opened across Hill Street from the cathedral. Hill Street was new then, and St Mary's Cathedral was the most important building on it. In 1865, the New Zealand Parliament moved into the Provincial Buildings. This happened when Wellington became the capital of New Zealand, taking over from Auckland.
Finishing Touches
Building the cathedral took a long time. In 1865, Bishop Viard asked for more money to finish it. Enough funds were raised to make the church longer and build a tower 105 feet (32 m) high. A special part of the tower was a space for a cast-iron statue of Our Lady. This statue arrived from France in 1867. It was put in the tower on September 8, the feast of the Nativity of Our Lady.
The statue was a reminder of when the diocese was dedicated to the Immaculate Conception in 1855. Bishop Viard had done this after a new religious teaching was announced. He hoped it would help protect the area from more strong earthquakes that had shaken Wellington that year. St Mary's Cathedral was then seen as "the finest church building in the colony." Bishop Viard opened the expanded cathedral on Christmas Day, 1867. It was designed by Christian Julius Toxward. He also designed Wellington's first synagogue and parts of Old St Paul's.
Further Changes
Bishop Viard passed away on June 2, 1872. His funeral was a big event. He was buried in a special grave inside the cathedral. After a long funeral procession through Wellington, 1,500 people came to the cathedral for his burial.
On November 26, 1874, Francis Redwood, Bishop Viard's replacement, arrived. He was welcomed in the cathedral, which was still not fully finished. Redwood later added a marble altar and a new organ. But he still felt the cathedral was not good enough. In 1892, he suggested to his clergy that they either build a new cathedral or make the current one bigger and better. His clergy felt a new building was too expensive. So, he started to improve the existing one, costing £5,000.
The Fire that Destroyed It
On Monday, November 28, 1898, around 8:30 AM, the dry wooden tower of the cathedral caught fire. A worker was burning off old paint, which started the blaze. The horse-drawn fire engine was slow to arrive. Also, the water pressure on the hill was low. A strong southerly wind helped the fire spread. It burned upwards through the tower and then downwards, engulfing the main part of the church.
People nearby, including Sisters of Mercy, managed to save some church items. But the fire chief soon said the building was too dangerous to enter. Efforts then focused on stopping the fire from spreading to other buildings. The heavy cast-iron statue fell from the tower. It was later found with only minor damage. Some people who saw it said the statue seemed to hang in the air for a moment. Then it slowly and gracefully landed upright on the ground, completely unharmed. In about three hours, the cathedral was reduced to smoking ruins.
A New Beginning
Bishop Redwood saw the fire as a sign. He decided to build a new local church for Thorndon. He also planned to give the name "St Mary's" to a brand new cathedral. This new cathedral was meant to be built near St Patrick's College, Wellington. However, the plans for this new St Mary's Cathedral never happened. It was mainly because there wasn't enough money.
This meant Wellington did not have an official Catholic cathedral until 1984. The new church to replace St Mary's Cathedral in Thorndon, called the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, opened on February 3, 1901. For 83 years, it acted as the main cathedral. Then, in 1984, the basilica was officially named the cathedral for the Archdiocese of Wellington. It was dedicated with the old name "St Mary's" included. Its full name became "Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of St Mary his mother."
Building Design
The Wellington Independent newspaper described St Mary's Cathedral in December 1867. It said the original building was made 10 metres (33 ft) longer. The design style was early English Gothic or "decorated." The building was shaped like a parallelogram. It had a tall and impressive tower in the southeast corner, which replaced the first tower. The cathedral was 33 metres (108 ft) long and 18 metres (58 ft) wide.
The entire building stood on its original brick foundation. It was mostly built from New Zealand timber. This included tōtara and rimu wood. The outside wood was tōtara. The wood was painted and textured. The newspaper said this was the best way to protect wood in New Zealand. It was not meant to look like stone. The roof was covered with slates. But the tower's spire used lead. The newspaper called the building "one of the finest... in the colony." It praised the architect for creating something both elegant and strong. The location was also perfect, as it could be seen from all over the city and harbour. Its golden statue and crosses shone brightly for everyone to see.
Outside Features
The main entrance was at the west end. It had three Gothic-style doors. Above the central doors was a beautiful window with colored glass. On each side of this window were two pointed windows. These let light into the aisles. The west end had golden Latin crosses on its roof edges.
The main central wall of the cathedral had seven supports called buttresses on each side. The lower aisles had eight buttresses on each side. Between these buttresses were pointed windows. Higher up, between the flying buttresses, were double pointed windows. The east end of the cathedral had two gables, which are the triangular parts of the wall under the roof. Both were topped with golden crosses. Light came from a triple window and a smaller round one. All these features made the building look light and graceful.
The Tower
The square tower was at the south-east corner of the building. It rose to a height of 32 metres (106 ft). It had strong supports called buttresses up to 21 metres (68 ft) high. About one foot above the third floor, there were four double arched openings. These had movable slats for the cathedral bells.
At 16 metres (54 ft) high, facing east, was a special space. In this space, under a small roof, stood a beautiful golden statue of the Madonna. It was 2.21 metres (7 ft 3 in) tall. An inscription on it said: "This statue was presented and blessed by the Right Reverend Philip Joseph Viard, Bishop of Wellington, on the eighth day of September, 1867. Virgo Immaculata, orare pro nobis." This means: "Virgin Immaculate, pray for us." The east side of the tower's roof had a five-pointed star. This star represented the star seen in the east at the Nativity. On the west side, there were the letters "A. M." woven together, meaning "Ave Maria." Facing north and south was a golden cross. From the top of the tower, a spire rose up. It was topped by a golden iron Latin cross, 1.8 metres (6 ft) tall.
Inside the Cathedral
The inside of the building had a very tall main area called the nave. It was 21 metres (70 ft) long, 6.1 metres (20 ft) wide, and 12 metres (40 ft) high in the center. The height from the floor to the start of the roof was 8.2 metres (27 ft). On each side of the nave was an aisle of the same length.
At the end of the nave was the sanctuary, a sacred area. Its ceiling was made of plaster and shaped like a pointed arch. The walls were plastered up to 1.8 metres (6 ft) from the floor. The lower part of the walls, called the dado, was 1.8 metres (6 ft) high. It was made of patterned, varnished, red pine wood panels in a Gothic style. St. Mary's and St. Joseph's chapels were on each side of the sanctuary. Their roofs were also plastered. There was also a sacristy next to the sanctuary. A choir loft was built at the west end. The cathedral could hold about five hundred people.
Toxward's Unique Style
John Stacpoole, who studies building history, talked about the many wooden churches designed by Christian Julius Toxward. He said that St Mary's was the most interesting. It was very different from other Gothic-style buildings seen in New Zealand at the time. Toxward was known for his "false buttresses" everywhere. These supports were topped with small spires. The nave buttresses went above the roofline and were connected by decorative walls.
St Mary's, which had a high central section with windows (a clerestory), also had flying buttresses. These are arched supports that help hold up the walls. Toxward used many decorative elements like valances and gable crestings. Even the undersides of the flying buttresses had deep teeth-like shapes. It was all very "un-English" in its design.
Images for kids
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St Mary's Cathedral in the 1880s, prior to its destruction
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The statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as it is in 2014, no longer gilded, in the cloister courtyard of Sacred Heart Cathedral.
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Latin memorial tablet for Bishop Viard in Sacred Heart Cathedral originally placed at his grave in St Mary's Cathedral. Translation:Sacred to the Memory Philippe Viard Born Lyons 11 October 1809 Professed Society of Mary 19 May 1839 Consecrated Bishop of Orthosia & Coadjutor to the Vicar Apostolic Western Oceania 7 February 1845 Appointed Apostolic Administrator Diocese of Wellington 20 June 1848 Proclaimed First Bishop of Wellington 3 June 1860 Died Wellington 2 June 1872 His name is held in Benediction
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de Santa María (Wellington) para niños
