Frequently Asked Questions

Bishop Michael says he hopes for a Cathedral that glorifies God, brings our community together, serves as source of unity and enhances worthy liturgical celebration”.

Bishop Michael wants to build a financially sustainable diocese with thriving parishes that are equipped to support their communities through mission. He wants to ensure the Diocese can support parishes financially and have the capacity to fulfil our responsibilities to those who suffered harm in Church settings.

Bishop Michael said the decision to build the new Catholic Cathedral precinct on Barbadoes St was reached after hearing from a range of key advisers and technical experts, as well as the responses to a survey. The survey invited people to consider three possible cathedral locations: Barbadoes St; Armagh St, on land the Diocese owns; or to refurbish and expand St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral on Manchester St.

Eighty-five per cent of the 1,600 survey respondents supported the proposal to build the new cathedral at Barbadoes St. This site is more than twice the size of the other sites, which means it offers greater flexibility. It was also the most economical choice of the three the Diocese considered.

The return to Barbadoes St also extends the 160-year Catholic history on that location.

St Mary’s needs significant structural work. Modifying St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral would have been too expensive (similar to a full rebuild) and would still leave us with an old building. More land would need to be purchased, and the parish would be displaced over the rebuild years. There were also significant parking challenges.

St Mary’s is a church of the Cathedral Parish. The Parish will be responsible for considering its future after the Cathedral is constructed on Barbadoes St.

The Armagh St land is valuable. We will work through an orderly selldown of the land over time. The proceeds will financially benefit the Diocese, including the Cathedral project. We do not need to sell the Armagh St land to commence the project.

We will soon develop a master plan; there is much to be worked through to determine the detail. Bishop Michael would like to see the Cathedral sit alongside a cultural and community centre, a Perpetual Adoration Chapel, meeting and office spaces for parish and diocesan services, housing for our priests, accessible and free car parking. Catholic Cathedral College will remain on its current site, and we will explore the possible relocation of St Mary’s Primary School.

The Cathedral is the Mother Church of the diocese, the seat of the Bishop. It is a centralised place of worship, the visible sign of unity. It is where the Bishop gathers his people for major events in the life of the diocese. Our Cathedral will be the home of the Cathedral parish and the broader Catholic community to live out their faith and fulfil their mission.

A budget for the project is not yet known but will emerge as master planning continues. We cannot cost the project until we have a design. Fundraising and the sale of diocesan assets (largely diocesan land) will be required to fund the project.

All donations made towards the Cathedral, or any other building project, are sitting in trust to be used for the purpose for which they were given. Our donors are a key part of our plans for the future. We are committed to keeping them informed as decisions are made.

The Catholic Church is a major provider of support for those who are suffering and on the margins. Our energy and purpose to deliver those services is inspired through our worship of God, who urges us to care deeply for all people.

There’s a lot of work to do before that will be known and we can establish timeframes. The Cathedral project will proceed with urgency, but with great care. People in Christchurch have seen that the construction of complex buildings takes time.

The Diocese has received advice from local experts that the Barbadoes St site is suitable for the construction of the new Cathedral and the other precinct buildings.

There are a number of possible locations on the Barbadoes St site that the Cathedral could be located, all of which will be considered by those developing the master plan.

Bishop Michael has outlined his focus on building a Cathedral that honours God and that enables and encourages worship. He will assemble a team of local experts across a range of areas, including liturgical design, to help deliver on his vision.

As the southeast corner of the CBD develops, the Diocese will work with the City Council to support good access to the Cathedral precinct via public transport and ease of traffic flow.

International experience shows that having access to free and easy carparking assists in enabling people to attend Mass. The Barbadoes Street site will provide adequate car parking for those who attend Mass and special events.

We want to create a vibrant Catholic community on the new Cathedral site. Catholic Cathedral College will remain, and we will explore other potential educational opportunities on the site.

Bishop Michael and Christchurch Anglican Bishop Peter Carrell recently issued this joint statement: “As Bishops of the Catholic and Anglican Dioceses of Christchurch, we share the view that a combined cathedral is highly impractical. The busyness of each of our respective cathedrals would mean both communities would have to relinquish aspects of our worship and our ministries. A cathedral is the ‘mother church’ of a diocese, whether Catholic or Anglican. It is a source of unity, based around the place of the bishop. A cathedral could not be the home of two bishops. While we continue to seek ways to strengthen bonds between our respective Anglican and Catholic brothers and sisters, a joint cathedral is not part of that journey.”

That level of detail is yet to be worked through.

The Diocese is in regular contact with developer Philip Carter, with whom it jointly owns some central city land. That partnership will continue as new plans for that land unfold.

Being close to Te Kaha Stadium will bring a number of benefits to the Cathedral precinct on our Barbadoes Street site, including bringing even more vibrancy and life to that part of town.