St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St Patrick's Cathedral
Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint Joseph
Auckland, St Patrick's Square
36°50′47″S 174°45′49″E / 36.8465°S 174.7635°E / -36.8465; 174.7635
Location	Auckland Central City
Country	New Zealand
Denomination	Catholic
History
Status	Cathedral (since 1848) Church (1848) Chapel (1842 – 1848)
Founded	1843; 182 years ago
Founder(s)	Bishop Jean-Baptiste Pompallier, 1st Bishop of Auckland
Dedication	Saint Patrick Saint Joseph
Dedicated	23 February 1908
Consecrated	1 September 1963
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Edward Mahoney and Thomas Mahoney
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Administration
Parish	St Patrick's Cathedral
Diocese	Auckland

The Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint Joseph, often called St Patrick's Cathedral, is a historic Catholic church in Auckland CBD, New Zealand. It is the main church for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Auckland. The church is located at the corner of Federal Street and Wyndham Street.

In 1841, Bishop Jean-Baptiste Pompallier, the first Catholic bishop in New Zealand, bought the land. A wooden chapel was built in 1843. This was replaced by a stone church in 1848. The stone church was made bigger in 1884. The building you see today was finished in 1907. St Patrick's became a cathedral in 1848 and was officially blessed in 1963.

Heritage New Zealand listed the cathedral as a Category I historic place on September 6, 1984. This means it is very important to New Zealand's history.

Visiting the Cathedral
- Mass Times
History of St Patrick's Cathedral
The Current Cathedral Building
- Building the Present Church
- Consecration and Modern Changes
Interesting Facts and Connections
Images for kids
See also

Visiting the Cathedral

Mass Times

The church holds services, called Mass, at these times:

Sunday: 8 am, 11 am, 4:30 pm & 7 pm
Monday to Friday: 7 am & 12:15 pm
Public Holidays and Saturdays: 8:30 am

History of St Patrick's Cathedral

Early Beginnings

The church stands on land given to Bishop Jean-Baptiste Pompallier in 1841. In the 1840s, about 300 to 400 Catholic people lived in Auckland. Most of them were from Ireland. To serve them, a wooden chapel, a house for the priests, and a school room were opened in 1843.

Work soon began on a stronger, more lasting church. In 1845, an architect named Walter Robinson came to Auckland. He was asked to design a stone church. This new church was built on the same land, at the corner of what is now Federal Street and Wyndham Street.

Becoming a Cathedral

At first, the building was called a chapel, then a church. But in 1848, Auckland became a separate Catholic area called a diocese. When Bishop Pompallier returned in 1850, he made Auckland his main base. This made St Patrick's the main Catholic church, or cathedral, for the area.

The first stone church could seat 700 people. It was built from local volcanic rock called scoria. It looked very strong and simple.

Growing Bigger

On May 4, 1884, work started on a new part of the church called the nave. This new section was 24.4 meters long and 12.2 meters wide. The old stone church then became the transept, which is the part of a cross-shaped church that sticks out. The architect for this big addition was Edward Mahoney.

The new nave had a tower, and its bells came all the way from Rome. The church also got a large organ from London. This new part of the church opened on March 15, 1885.

The Current Cathedral Building

Building the Present Church

Re-touched photograph of St Patrick's Cathedral, taken in 1908

By the early 1900s, Auckland's population was growing fast. The cathedral was again too small. Edward Mahoney's son, Thomas Mahoney, drew up plans to make the church even bigger.

In 1907, the old stone church from 1848 was taken down. The nave was made longer by another 12.2 meters. New parts were added, including a sanctuary, four sacristies (rooms for priests), and two side chapels. Three large entrance porches were also added. One of these became the baptistry, where baptisms take place.

On February 23, 1908, the newly rebuilt church, which is the St Patrick's Cathedral we see today, was opened. About 1,300 people filled the church for the opening ceremony.

Consecration and Modern Changes

On September 1, 1963, St Patrick's Cathedral was officially consecrated. This means it was formally dedicated as a sacred place.

In 2007, the cathedral went through a big restoration. The inside of the church was changed to make it more modern. The area where the choir sits was turned into a special chapel. Paintings of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Holy Family were placed on the side altars. The main altar was replaced with a large raised platform. This platform holds the altar, the bishop's special chair (called a cathedra), a reading stand, and a baptismal font. Water flows continuously in the baptismal font.

Another interesting feature inside the cathedral is a silk tapestry. It has been hanging on the west wall of the north transept since 1989.

Interesting Facts and Connections

A grapevine growing outside the cathedral is thought to have come from a vine brought to New Zealand by Bishop Pompallier himself.
In 1940, after he passed away, the body of New Zealand Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage rested in the cathedral. This happened before he was buried at Bastion Point.
St Patrick's Cathedral, especially its tall spire, was an important location in the 1988 movie The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey.
Two former Bishops of Auckland, George Michael Lenihan and John Mackey, are buried inside the Cathedral.