St Joseph's Cathedral, Dunedin
St Joseph's Cathedral is the cathedral for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dunedin. It is located in City Rise in the city of Dunedin, New Zealand. It serves as the seat of the bishop of the Latin Church Roman Catholic Diocese of Dunedin, which was erected on 26 November 1869.
| St Joseph's Cathedral | |
|---|---|
 Cathedral as it appeared in 2005 | |
| 45°52′28″S 170°29′53″E | |
| Location | City Rise, Dunedin |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Open |
| Heritage designation | Category I (25 November 1982) |
| Designated | 14 February 1886 |
| Architect(s) | Francis Petre |
| Architectural type | Cathedral |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Dunedin |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop(s) | Michael Dooley, 7th Bishop of Dunedin (2018–present) |
| Priest(s) | Rev Fr Vaughan Leslie PP |
| Laity | |
| Director of music | David Burchell |
| Organist(s) | David Burchell Maria Lane (assistant) |
| Music group(s) | St Joseph's Cathedral Choir |
History
The Gothic revival cathedral was designed by Francis Petre, who also later, in a complete change of style to Palladian revival, designed St Patrick's Basilica, Oamaru (1894), Sacred Heart Cathedral, Wellington (1901), the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Christchurch (1905), St. Mary's Basilica, Invercargill (1905), St Patrick's Basilica, Waimate (1909) and Sacred Heart Basilica, Timaru (1911).
Construction of the Cathedral started in 1878, during the episcopacy of Bishop Patrick Moran. It was used for its first church service in February 1886, and was completed in its unfinished state in May 1886, at a cost of £22,500. The original design, however, was for a much larger building, with a tall spire with a height of 100 meters over the transept.
A description of St Joseph's Cathedral from a letter of the reporter of the Auckland Evening Star in 1889 says, "The cable tram has carried you up barely two hundred feet when you see a double-towered church of dark grey stone standing on a site cut into the hill. This is the Catholic Cathedral, St Joseph — and it is a gem. The outside gives you no idea of the beauty within."[1] This is a poor description of what was built. While it falls short of the original conception the building as it stands gives a better idea of the outstanding structure which was never completed.
Renovations
The cathedral has undergone several modifications, the most notable being the removal of the High Altar after Vatican II; it was returned after a long sojourn in the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. The side altar was dismantled in early 1970, and has since been made into a large Tabernacle, kept in the Blessed Sacrament chapel beside the sanctuary.
A Reconciliation Room was added to replace the old confessionals in the nave of the cathedral. In March 2023, the confessionals were renovated and returned to their original use.
Organ and Choir
Organ
The organ was ordered and built by George Fincham of Melbourne. Once shipped to Dunedin, it was erected by Charles Begg and opened in 1 February 1867.
The organ was dedicated on 1 June 1976 after a rebuild undertaken by the South Island Organ Company.[2] Upon the completion of the rebuild, two wooden statues were presented as gifts of the Cathedral Choir. The statues now sit on wither side of the Positive division casework.
Cathedral Choir
As of 2023 the Choir consists of about 15 members.[3]
St Dominic's Priory and Cathedral Chapel
St Dominic's Priory is located beside St Joseph's Cathedral, also designed by Petre, in 1876. When built in 1877, it was the largest unreinforced poured concrete building the Southern Hemisphere and has been described by Heritage New Zealand as "one of New Zealand's most important Victorian buildings".[4][5] In 1889, a bluestone extension was built to accommodate older students in the newly established St Dominic's College. It holds a Heritage New Zealand Category I listing (No. 372).[5]
In 2020, the Priory was broken into, with intruders ransacking a flat and damaging historic paintings and other irreplaceable property.[6]
The Priory is of neo-Gothic design. It reaches four storeys at gable level and there are over 70 rooms, both large and small, including double-glazed music rooms. The Priory is no longer used for any purpose.
The Cathedral Chapel is situated behind the Priory and is still used. It still obtains its original High Altar. Mass is celebrated there twice a week and the Traditional Latin Mass is still celebrated there every Sunday. The Cathedral Choir also uses this as their practice space.
The Catholic Pastoral Centre, located behind the Cathedral, contains administration, the Bishop's office and also the Dunedin Catholic library.
References
- Auckland Evening Star, New Zealand, 1889.
- "St. Joseph's Catholic Cathedral, Dunedin" (PDF). New Zealand Organ Preservation Trust. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- "The Cathedral Choir". October 2009. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- Dungey, Kim (17 December 2021). "Inside an abandoned piece of Dunedin history". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- "Welcome to Heritage New Zealand". Welcome to Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- Lewis, John (1 April 2020). "Intruders ransack historic priory". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
Further reading
- Hamilton, Derek; Hamilton, Judith (2009). Early Churches in and Around Dunedin (Paperback). Christchurch, NZ: Self-published. ISBN 978-0-473-15950-4.
- Knight, H., and Wales, N. (1988). Buildings of Dunedin. Dunedin: John McIndoe.
External links
Media related to St. Joseph's Cathedral, Dunedin at Wikimedia Commons- St Joseph's Cathedral