Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland

Last updated

Holy Trinity Cathedral
Cathedral of the Holy Trinity
Anglican Cathedral, Parnell.JPG
Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland. The main façade hints at features of the elevation of the older wooden cathedral just visible behind it
Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland
36°51′35″S174°47′01″E / 36.8596°S 174.7836°E / -36.8596; 174.7836
Address Parnell, Auckland
CountryNew Zealand
Denomination Anglican
Churchmanship Broad church
Website www.holy-trinity.org.nz
History
Status Cathedral
Founded1957
Founder(s)Bishop John Simkin
Dedication Holy Trinity
Consecrated 28 October 2017
by Bishop Ross Bay
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architect(s)
  • Richard Toy
  • John Sinclair
Architectural type Church
Years built1961 1965
Specifications
Capacity1,250 parishioners
Administration
Province New Zealand
Diocese Auckland
Parish Cathedral of the Holy Trinity
Clergy
Archbishop Justin Duckworth
Bishop(s) Ross Bay
Dean Anne Mills
Precentor Ivica Gregurec
Archdeacon Carole Hughes
Laity
Director of music Peter Watts
Organist(s) Philip Smith

Holy Trinity Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral situated in Parnell, a residential suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is the 'mother church' of the Anglican Diocese of Auckland and the seat of the Bishop of Auckland. The current main church building was consecrated in 1973.

Contents

History

St Paul's Church

The first Anglican parish in Auckland was located in St Paul's, which was founded in 1841, within a year of the foundation of the city, and is known as the 'mother church' of the city. [1] The first St Paul's building was in Emily Place, just off Princes Street, where a plaque still marks the site of the beginning of the Christian church in Auckland. [2] St Paul's was the seat of the Bishop of New Zealand, the Right Reverend George Selwyn, for his entire 28-year tenure and served as Auckland's cathedral for over 40 years. [3] [4] [5]

St Barnabas' Parish Church

The increasing European population of Auckland put pressure on Māori land and society, straining relations, leading to the city's second Anglican church, St Barnabas, being opened in 1849 specifically for Māori. [5] It was situated near the bottom of Parnell, on land that was later demolished and used for reclamation work. The small church building was shifted to Mount Eden, where it still forms part of the St Barnabas' Parish Church.

Cathedral Church of St Mary

With the building of the original St Mary's Church in 1860, Bishop Selwyn established the Parish of St Mary. Old St Mary's stood on the site of the present cathedral, but proved to be too small, badly ventilated and uncomfortable. The establishment of New Zealand's dioceses, and Auckland's fast-growing population, meant that a larger church was required. Old St Mary's Church was demolished, and in 1886 work started on land opposite to build a new Cathedral Church of St Mary. This wooden Gothic Revival church was designed by the prominent New Zealand architect Benjamin Mountfort and completed in 1897. The building served as the cathedral church and principal Anglican church in Auckland until 1973 when the chancel of Holy Trinity Cathedral, for which the foundation stone was laid in 1957, came into use. In 1982, St Mary's Church was moved across Parnell Road to its present site beside the cathedral.

The celebrated harpsichordist, organist, and conductor Anthony Jennings was music director at the cathedral from 1974 through 1985; during which time several recordings were made of the cathedral's choir. [6]

Diocese and cathedral

Today the Diocese of Auckland is one of seven dioceses of the Tikanga Pākehā (Pākehā culture) stream of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The diocese covers the area stretching from North Cape south to the Waikato River, across the Hauraki Plains and including the Coromandel Peninsula.

The Anglican church in New Zealand, today known as the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, was pioneered by Bishop George Selwyn who arrived as Bishop of New Zealand in 1841.

In those early days the then colony was regarded as one huge diocese which, including large areas of the South Pacific, covered almost one sixth of the Earth's surface. Selwyn did much to establish the church and many small chapels, churches, schools and a theological college were built during this period. In 1856 Selwyn created New Zealand's first diocese, Christchurch.

Following the adoption of the Constitution of the Church of the Province of New Zealand, which was signed in St Stephen's Chapel, Judges Bay, Auckland, on 13 June 1857, [7] other dioceses were soon established: Nelson and Waiapu in 1858, and Wellington in 1859. Following the creation of the dioceses Selwyn became ipso facto the Bishop of Auckland (though never formally styled as such), while retaining the primacy and continuing as the metropolitan. In diaries kept by his contemporary, Attorney-General William Swainson, Auckland was at that time expected to be the permanent seat of the Metropolitan of New Zealand.

St Stephen's Chapel, Auckland St Stephens Chapel Auckland.jpg
St Stephen's Chapel, Auckland

In 1843 Selwyn purchased land in Parnell for the cathedral, as well as for St Stephen's Chapel, Bishopscourt, and associated buildings. He wrote in his diary on 3 June 1843 "... I reached the Judge's House [Judge Martin; First Attorney-General] by a path, avoiding the town, and passed over land which I have bought for the site of the Cathedral ... ". He is reputed to have included the intended name for the cathedral in a sermon at Lichfield Cathedral in 1841 after his consecration.

Selwyn returned to England in 1868 having selected William Cowie as his successor. Cowie was the first bishop to be known as Bishop of Auckland, and it may be considered that this was the year of the formation of the Diocese of Auckland, though it is generally said to be 1841. The Diocese of Dunedin, formerly part of the Christchurch Diocese, was created in 1869.

During Bishop Cowie's 33-year tenure, the last nine as primate, the diocesan administration was set up in the traditional Anglican understanding of the term. When the dioceses were firmly established, each with its bishop, the building of New Zealand's cathedrals began.

ChristChurch Cathedral was one of the first: begun in 1864, it was finally consecrated in 1881. It had been intended to build a cathedral seating 1000 people in Auckland but by 1883 the plan was abandoned because of cost. Instead, a decision was made to replace the existing small church of St Mary's in Parnell with a larger church, and in 1884 work began. The new church was designated a cathedral in 1887 while uncompleted, and a cathedral chapter of clerical canons and lay members was formed in 1893 while the new cathedral was in use but still awaiting completion.

By 1926 the Auckland diocese was very large and becoming densely populated, so The Most Revd AW Averill, Bishop of Auckland and Archbishop of New Zealand, divided off the southern regions of Waikato, King Country and Taranaki to form the Diocese of Waikato.

The Auckland cathedral used to be square, and they wanted to make it into a cross shape, but no one could work out how to design it to be safe. Later on, George Day, an English carpenter who had lived in New Zealand for a couple of years, worked out how to.[ citation needed ]

Buildings

St Mary's Church

St Mary's Church is the former cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Auckland. It replaced the earlier Old St Mary's. This wooden Gothic Revival church was designed by the prominent Christchurch architect Benjamin Mountfort and completed in 1897. [8] The building served as the cathedral church and principal Anglican church of Auckland until 1973 when the chancel of Holy Trinity Cathedral, for which the foundation stone was laid in 1957, came into use. In 1982, St Mary's Church was moved across Parnell Road to its present site beside the cathedral. [9]

Cathedral of the Holy Trinity

The nave of the new cathedral dedicated to "The Holy Trinity" was designed by Professor Richard Toy, a New Zealand architect. Building commenced in 1961 and was completed in 1965.

Toy designed a modern nave while retaining the ambience and architectural values of the older chancel. He combined two very different architectural styles, incorporating the existing brick & reinforced concrete neo-Gothic chancel, with the new nave, a contemporary design which has large areas of glass and a timber ceiling. The line of the nave roof reflects that of St Mary's Church which stands beside it.

The nave is square in plan enabling the space to be used not only as a place of worship but also as a site for local community functions. Glass doors the length of two sides light the vast space and accentuate the seemingly unsupported roof with its absence of visible structural support. This surreal effect is made possible by a ridge and furrow roof system, a refinement of that first invented by the architect Joseph Paxton for his Crystal Palace in 1852. The vast uncluttered space and fine acoustics realised by this ingenious construction allow multi-purpose use of the nave, including concerts and other performances.

A third area of worship – the Marsden Chapel named after Samuel Marsden, separated from the body of the cathedral by glass doors and panels – provides an intimate space for private devotions. The inspiration for this small chapel was the small medieval churches of Europe. The decoration in this part of the cathedral is very simple in direct contrast to the rest of the building. A set of five stained glass windows designed by prominent English artist John Baker fit perfectly into the chapel.

The cathedral is renowned for its modern stained glass, including the unique window featuring a Polynesian Christ with vividly coloured Pacific motifs. A set of eighteen windows along the sides of the nave, designed by Robert Ellis and Shane Cotton and dedicated in 2004, tell the Christian story using a combination of traditional and Polynesian designs.

The supervising architect for the building of the nave was John Sinclair, former president of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, who also designed the Monteith Visitors' Centre which is attached to the north-east corner of the cathedral and forms an eastern boundary to the cathedral forecourt.

The cathedral can accommodate 1250 people, the nave having a maximum seating capacity of 1100. The church is maintained by the Diocese of Auckland and parishioners. They are assisted by the Friends of Holy Trinity Cathedral Parnell, an organisation particularly involved in the maintenance and beautification of the cathedral's fabric. The organisation was established in 1986.

At a service on 28 October 2017 the cathedral was consecrated by Bishop Ross Bay. [10] The service was attended by bishops of New Zealand, Aotearoa, Australia, Melanesia, Polynesia and Lichfield and a congregation of around 1400.

Mountain Fountain sculpture

Mountain Fountain in the forecourt of Holy Trinity Cathedral Mtn ftn 2023-09-01 1.png
Mountain Fountain in the forecourt of Holy Trinity Cathedral

In 2010, the Terry Stringer sculpture Mountain Fountain was relocated from storage to the forecourt of the Holy Trinity Cathedral. It had previously been located in Aotea Square from its completion in 1981 until its decommission in 2008 during renovations to Aotea Square. Holy Trinity Cathedral council member John Wilson suggested the new site, and it was chosen after consultation with Stringer, the public, and council art advisors. The sculpture fulfilled Professor Toy's original vision to have an artwork situated next to the cathedral. [11] Mountain Fountain was dedicated in its new location on 12 September 2010. [12]

Bishop Selwyn Chapel

The Bishop Selwyn Chapel was designed in 2017 by the Fearon Hay Architects. The chapel was nominated for the religious section of the World Architecture Festival in Berlin. At the back of the cathedral property it serves as a church for the un-choral eucharists.

Deans of Holy Trinity

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Blomfield</span> English architect (1829–1899)

Sir Arthur William Blomfield was an English architect. He became president of the Architectural Association in 1861; a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1867 and vice-president of the RIBA in 1886. He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied Architecture.

Cyril Julian Mountfort was a New Zealand ecclesiastical architect. He was the second son of Benjamin Mountfort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (St. John's)</span> Church in Canada

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is an Anglican cathedral located in the city of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The church is considered to be the mother church for Anglicans in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, formerly the Church of the Province of New Zealand, is a province of the Anglican Communion serving New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, and the Cook Islands. Since 1992 the church has consisted of three tikanga or cultural streams: Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia. The church's constitution says that, among other things, it is required to "maintain the right of every person to choose any particular cultural expression of the faith". As a result, the church's General Synod has agreed upon the development of the three-person primacy based on this three tikanga system; it has three primates, each representing a tikanga, who share authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parnell, New Zealand</span> Suburb in Auckland, New Zealand

Parnell is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is one of New Zealand's most affluent suburbs, consistently ranked within the top three wealthiest, and is often billed as Auckland's "oldest suburb" since it dates from the earliest days of the European settlement of Auckland in 1841. It is characterised by its mix of tree-lined streets with large estates; redeveloped industrial zones with Edwardian town houses and 1920s bay villas; and its hilly topography that allows for views of the port, the Waitematā Harbour, Rangitoto Island and the Auckland Domain. To its west lies the Auckland Domain, to the south Newmarket, and to the north the Ports of Auckland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Gibraltar</span> Church in Cathedral Square, Gibraltar

The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity is the cathedral for the Church of England Archdeaconry of Gibraltar in the Diocese of Europe. Located in Cathedral Square, it is sometimes referred to simply as Gibraltar Cathedral, although it should not be confused with the Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned, which is Gibraltar's Roman Catholic cathedral.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglican Diocese of Auckland</span>

The Diocese of Auckland is one of the thirteen dioceses and hui amorangi of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The Diocese covers the area stretching from North Cape down to the Waikato River, across the Hauraki Plains and including the Coromandel Peninsula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benjamin Mountfort</span> English architect, emigrant to New Zealand (1825–1898)

Benjamin Woolfield Mountfort was an English emigrant to New Zealand, where he became one of the country's most prominent 19th-century architects. He was instrumental in shaping the city of Christchurch's unique architectural identity and culture, and was appointed the first official Provincial Architect of the developing province of Canterbury. Heavily influenced by the Anglo-Catholic philosophy behind early Victorian architecture, he is credited with importing the Gothic revival style to New Zealand. His Gothic designs constructed in both wood and stone in the province are considered unique to New Zealand. Today, he is considered the founding architect of the province of Canterbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Selwyn (Bishop of New Zealand)</span> New Zealand clergyman (1809–1878)

George Augustus Selwyn was the first Anglican Bishop of New Zealand. He was Bishop of New Zealand from 1841 to 1869. His diocese was then subdivided and Selwyn was Metropolitan of New Zealand from 1858 to 1868. Returning to Britain, Selwyn served as Bishop of Lichfield from 1868 to 1878.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Paul's Church, Auckland</span> Historic church in Auckland, New Zealand

St Paul's Church is an historic Anglican church, located on Symonds Street near the University of Auckland and Auckland University of Technology, in the central business district of Auckland, New Zealand. The church is the longest established parish in the city and has one of the largest Anglican congregations in Australasia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland</span> Historic church in Auckland Central City, New Zealand

The Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint Joseph is an heritage-listed Catholic cathedral church in Auckland CBD, situated on the corner of Federal Street and Wyndham St. It is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Auckland and the seat of the Bishop of Auckland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Trinity Church, Morecambe</span> Church in Lancashire, England

Holy Trinity Church, Morecambe, or Morecambe Parish Church, is in Church Street, Morecambe, Lancashire, England. It is the Anglican parish church of Morecambe, in the deanery of Lancaster, the archdeaconry of Lancaster and the diocese of Blackburn. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Saints' Church, Dunedin</span> Church in New Zealand

All Saints' Church is a heritage-listed Anglican church located in Dunedin, New Zealand. Established in 1865, the church is part of the Dunedin North parish in the Diocese of Dunedin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Trinity Avonside</span> Church in Christchurch, New Zealand

Holy Trinity Avonside was a heritage-listed Anglican church located in Linwood, Christchurch, New Zealand. It was registered as a "Historic Place – Category I" by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. The church building was "damaged beyond the point of repair" in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake and was demolished the following September.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Saviour's Chapel</span> Church in Lyttelton, New Zealand

St Saviour's at Holy Trinity is an Anglican church in Lyttelton, Christchurch, New Zealand. St Saviour's Chapel was relocated from West Lyttelton to Christchurch's Cathedral Grammar School in the 1970s. Following the earthquakes and the demolition of Holy Trinity Church, Lyttelton, St Saviour's was returned to Lyttelton to the site of Holy Trinity in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Cathedral, Auckland</span> Historic church in Auckland, New Zealand

St Mary's Cathedral Church, also known as St Mary's Church, is an Anglican church located in Parnell Road, Parnell, a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. The building served as the cathedral church and principal Anglican church of the Diocese of Auckland until 1973 when the chancel of Holy Trinity Cathedral, for which the foundation stone was laid in 1957, came into use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Trinity Church, New Plymouth</span> Church in New Plymouth, New Zealand

Holy Trinity Church is a heritage-listed Anglican building at 12 Henui Street, Fitzroy, New Plymouth, New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taranaki Cathedral</span> Church in New Zealand

The Taranaki Cathedral Church of St Mary is an Anglican cathedral church, located at 37 Vivian Street, New Plymouth, in New Zealand. Following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, in 2016 the cathedral was closed for repairs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Auckland</span> Historic church in Auckland, New Zealand

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, commonly known as Holy Sep and St Sepulchre's, is an historic Anglican church located on Khyber Pass Road, Grafton, near the central business district of Auckland, New Zealand. The church and wider marae complex are also known as.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Selwyn churches</span>

The Selwyn churches were a group of 19th-century Anglican churches and chapels in the Auckland region, New Zealand, named after Bishop Selwyn, who inspired their construction. The majority were built in wood in the neo-gothic style, and many were designed by the architect Frederick Thatcher.

References

  1. "Search the List | St Paul's Church (Anglican) | Heritage New Zealand". heritage.org.nz. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  2. "Search the List | Churton Memorial | Heritage New Zealand". heritage.org.nz. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  3. Kate, Hannah. "Where we've come from". stpaulschurch.smugmug.com. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  4. "Our History". Anglican Diocese of Auckland. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  5. 1 2 Hawkins, Simeon (2020). "King, Bishop, Knight, Pioneer: the Social and Architectural Significance of Old St Paul's Church, Emily Place, Auckland. 1841-1885" (PDF). University of Auckland Research Repository, ResearchSpace. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  6. Thomson, J. M. (20 January 2001). "Jennings, Anthony". Grove Music Online (8th ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.42592. ISBN   978-1-56159-263-0.
  7. "St Stephen's Chapel". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand . Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  8. Lochhead, Ian J. "Mountfort, Benjamin Woolfield – Biography". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography . Ministry for Culture and Heritage . Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  9. "Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand.
  10. "Bishop George Augustus Selwyn's cathedral in Auckland finally consecrated". Anglican Communion New Service. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  11. Cooke, Michelle (2 October 2009). "Mountain Fountain's moving". East And Bays Courier.
  12. Ashton, Lloyd (12 September 2010). "Inspirational recycling at Parnell". Anglican Taonga.
  13. "Installation service". Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  14. "Anglican dean asked to leave". The New Zealand Herald. 4 July 2000. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
  15. "Obituary: Very Rev Dean Emeritus John Rymer". The New Zealand Herald. 12 April 2003. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
  16. "Obituary: George Monteith". The New Zealand Herald. 21 June 2003. Retrieved 20 December 2012.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland at Wikimedia Commons