The Diocese of Christchurch has unveiled the design of its new Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, set to become the first Catholic cathedral built in New Zealand in more than 120 years, and launched the public campaign to fund the 80-million New Zealand dollar (about $46 million) project.
The 800-seat cathedral will rise on Barbadoes Street in central Christchurch, the site of the 1905 original that was demolished in 2020 after suffering irreparable damage in the earthquakes that struck the Canterbury region in 2010 and 2011, killing 185 people and damaging more than half of the diocese’s 68 churches.
Bishop Michael Gielen announced the launch in a pastoral letter read at Masses across the diocese on Sunday, July 26. The 11th bishop of Christchurch said today’s Catholic faithful carry the “responsibility” and “privilege” first shouldered by Bishop John Grimes, who built the original cathedral.
“Our Catholic communities have changed in the decades since Bishop Grimes led our diocese, but our desire for beauty, for welcome, and for honoring God has not,” Gielen said.
Following public consultation, Gielen announced in 2024 that the cathedral would return to the diocese’s traditional home on Barbadoes Street and retain its historic name, alongside a Māori name: Te Hāhi Matua o te Hākarameta Tapu Rawa. The design, developed over two years with architects Warren and Mahoney, also includes a perpetual adoration chapel and the Te Rangimarie community center, with space for 300 people.
“When I arrived in the diocese four years ago, one of the questions I was most often asked was, ‘What is happening with the cathedral?’ That question revealed something profound: the deep love our people have for their mother church,” Gielen said.
‘It’s now our turn’
Tony Brazier, who is leading the cathedral campaign, said about 45 million New Zealand dollars (about $26 million) will come from insurance proceeds and the sale of diocesan assets. Of the 35 million New Zealand dollars (about $20 million) to be raised, more than 19 million New Zealand dollars (about $11 million) has already been pledged.
“Bishop Michael is emulating what Bishop Grimes did — inviting every Catholic family to make a sacrificial offering to build our new cathedral,” Brazier said.
Gielen and many of the diocese’s priests have committed to making weekly contributions over the next five years. No construction date has been announced; the diocese says it will move toward final preparations once half of the remaining 16 million New Zealand dollars (about $9 million) has been raised.
“It’s now our turn to answer the ancient call to build something that will last for generations, and about which those who follow us will also say ‘Those people were generous, those people were courageous, they trusted in God,’” the bishop said.
Three stained-glass windows created in 1912 by the Zettler Studio of Munich for the original cathedral will take pride of place at the entrance of its successor.