Christchurch Catholic Cathedral, Roman Catholic cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament is a planned Catholic cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand, to be built on the Barbadoes Street site of its demolished predecessor. In April 2024 Bishop Michael Gielen announced the return to this site; the design by Warren and Mahoney and Franck & Lohsen was released on 26 July 2026. It will be the first Catholic cathedral built in New Zealand in 120 years.
The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament was damaged in the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes and demolished in 2020. Bishop Paul Martin announced plans for a replacement on 7 December 2019, and on 21 April 2024 Bishop Michael Gielen confirmed the return to the Barbadoes Street site. It will be the first Catholic cathedral built in New Zealand in 120 years.
The cathedral's name, the Blessed Sacrament, was chosen by Bishop Michael Gielen from three patronal options and announced on 4 August 2024, matching its demolished predecessor. The building is the future mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch. A group of about 300 parishioners called The Gathering challenged the project under Canon Law at the Vatican's Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.
The cathedral is planned for the Barbadoes Street site of the demolished predecessor, not the Armagh and Colombo Streets land bought earlier, which is to be sold. The design by Warren and Mahoney with Franck & Lohsen was released on 26 July 2026, so there is no finished building to enter yet.
The replacement cathedral will be the first Catholic cathedral built in New Zealand in 120 years. Its name, the Blessed Sacrament, was chosen by Bishop Michael Gielen from three options and announced on 4 August 2024, matching the demolished predecessor.
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