St John's Cathedral, Napier

St John's Cathedral, Napier
Waiapu Cathedral of St John the Evangelist
Waiapu Cathedral Napier Cathedral
St John's Cathedral, Napier
39°29′20″S176°55′01″E / 39.4889°S 176.9170°E / -39.4889; 176.9170
Address	28 Browning Street, Napier
Country	New Zealand
Denomination	Anglican
Website	napiercathedral.org.nz
History
Status	Cathedral
Dedication	John the Evangelist
Consecrated	8 October 1967
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Previous cathedrals	1
Architect(s)	R. S. D. Harman Messrs Malcolm and Sweet
Architectural type	Church
Style	Modernism; Art Deco
Years built	1955–1965
Administration
Province	Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia
Diocese	Waiapu (since 1858)
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Andrew Hedge
Dean	Di Woods
Canon(s)	Jenny Chalmers
Laity
Director of music	Anthony Tattersall

St John's Cathedral, Napier, officially the Waiapu Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist, is an Anglican cathedral church, located in Browning Street, Napier, New Zealand.

Commonly called either Waiapu Cathedral or Napier Cathedral, the cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese of Waiapu of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The cathedral serves as the seat ( cathedra ) for both the Bishop of Waiapu, Andrew Hedge, and for the Bishop of Aotearoa (Māori : Te Pihopa o Aotearoa), Don Tamihere. ^[1] This cathedrae is a distinctive aspect of Waiapu Cathedral, differing from St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast, which also serves two Anglican dioceses but is the seat of neither.

Construction of the present building was completed 1965, and the cathedral was consecrated on 8 October 1967. It is built in an Art Deco style.

History

Waiapu Cathedral, c. 1910s

The present-day building replaced an earlier cathedral that was destroyed by the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. Begun in 1886, consecrated in December 1888, and largely complete by 1890, the original cathedral of St John was a brick construction designed by Christchurch architect Benjamin Mountfort. ^[2] Two lives were lost in the cathedral as a result of the 1931 earthquake. Edith Barry was trapped beneath fallen beams, and was euthanized as flames from the post-earthquake conflagration approached the building. Kate Williams died the following day of injuries sustained in the quake. ^[3]

Following the total destruction of the first cathedral a temporary building was erected on the site, standing from 1931 until it was closed in 1960. ^[4]

The current building is widely regarded as a fine example of Art Deco architecture. The design was largely drawn up by Napier architect Kingwell Malcolm, of the firm Malcolm and Sweet, following the untimely death of the selected architect R. S. D. Harman. ^[5] The stained glass windows were designed by Wellington artist Beverley Shore Bennett. ^[6]

Bishopric

The Very Rev'd Dr Michael Godfrey, who was installed as Dean by Bishop David Rice in October 2013, ^[7] was dismissed by Bishop Hedge in May 2016, following allegations that he had committed adultery twenty five years previously. ^[8] Godfrey did not deny the allegations, but appealed the dismissal, and was reinstated by order of the national Anglican Appeals Tribunal. ^[9] Bishop Hedge formally apologized to Dr Godfrey and his family but Godfrey elected not to return to the position. ^[10] Godfrey went on to be Ministry Educator and an archdeacon in the Anglican Diocese of Dunedin. ^{[11] [12]}

The Very Rev'd Di Woods was appointed Dean in May 2022 following the retirement of The Very Rev'd Ian Render. ^[13]

List of vicars and deans

(from 1889 the Vicar of Napier was also Dean of Waiapu)

• 1859-1863 The Rev'd H. W. St. Hill ^[14]
• 1863 The Rev'd Dr C. J. Abraham ^[14] Locum tenens while also Bishop of Wellington; see Charles Abraham (bishop of Wellington) ^[15]
• 1864-1867 The Rev'd Dr L. Saywell ^[14]
• 1867-1877 The Rev'd J. Townsend ^[14]
• 1878-1905 The Very Rev'd de B. Hovell ^[14]
• 1906-1929 The Very Rev'd F. Mayne ^[14]
• 1929-1944 The Very Rev'd J. B. Brocklehurst ^[14]
• 1944-1961 The Very Rev'd O. S. O. Gibson ^[14]
• 1961-1963 The Very Rev'd E. W. R. Guymer ^[14]
• 1964-1973 The Very Rev'd H. A. Childs ^[14]
• 1973-1980 The Very Rev'd B. N. Davis (later Brian Davis (bishop) Bishop of Waikato, Bishop of Wellington, and Archbishop of New Zealand) ^[14]
• 1980-1984 The Very Rev'd Dr D. J. Coles (later David Coles (bishop) Bishop of Christchurch ^[14]
• 1984-1991 The Very Rev'd M. J. Mills (later Murray Mills (bishop) Bishop of Waiapu ^[16]
• 1991-2003 The Very Rev'd N. A. Hendery ^[16]
• 2004-2013 The Very Rev'd Dr H. E. Jacobi ^[16] (first female dean of a New Zealand cathedral)
• 2013–2017 The Very Rev'd Dr M. J. H. Godfrey ^[9]
• 2017- 2021 The Very Rev'd I. P. Render ^[17]
• 2022- The Very Rev'd Di Woods ^[18]

Music team

Waiapu Cathedral hosts a choir, and one of the finest pipe organs in New Zealand, which has recently undergone a complete restoration. It is the fifth organ on the site, ^[19] and has received a major re-build by the South Island Organ Company in 2012/3. The organ, featuring more than 3700 pipes, is now the largest church organ in New Zealand. ^{[20] [21]} Gary Bowler, who was New Zealand's longest serving Anglican cathedral organist, ^[22] served as Director of Music from April 1981 to December 2014. James Mist was Director of Music from July 2015 until early 2017. Anthony Tattersall, formerly organist and choir leader at Blackburn Cathedral, is the current Director of Music. ^[23]

References

1. "Waiapu Anglican Cathedral, Napier, New Zealand". Napier Cathedral. Diocese of Waiapu. n.d. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
2. Grant 1986, p. ?.
3. Grant 1986, p. 20.
4. Grant 1986, p. 28.
5. Grant 1986, p. 24.
6. "The Cathedral". Waiapu Anglican Cathedral. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
7. "Trans Tasman Dean for Waiapu". Anglican Taonga. 4 July 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
8. "Priest's affairs "comfort" after assault by man". RNZ. 6 May 2016.
9. "Napier priest wins fights with church after being stood down for adultery". Stuff. 25 October 2016.
10. "Waiapu Dean". Anglican Taonga.
11. "Diocesan office". calledsouth.org.nz. Anglican Diocese of Dunedin.
12. "Diocese of Dunedin". Directory. Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.
13. "Our Team". Waiapu Anglican Cathedral. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
14. Grant 1986, p. 47.
15. Rosevear, Watson. Waiapu: the Story of a Diocese.
16. Clerical Directory
17. "Cathedral Clergy and Staff". Napier Cathedral.
18. "Bell Rings for New Era at Cathedral". Waiapu Cathedral.
19. Living Stones
20. "2013 Review - 2013 Review 45th Annual Review John Hargraves M... | Pipe Organ and Reed Organ Specialists | Organ, Church, Cathe". Pipeorgans.co.nz. 24 February 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
21. "New organ in a class of its own". Hawkes Bay Today. New Zealand Herald. 30 January 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
22. "Waiapu Anglican Cathedral, Napier". Diocese of Waiapu. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
23. "Our Team". Waiapu Anglican Cathedral. Retrieved 6 June 2023.

Sources

• Grant, S. W. (1986). The Resurrection and the Life: a centennial history of the cathedrals of St John the Evangelist 1886–1986.

External links

• Official website