Catholic cathedral under review, says Bishop of Christchurch

The Catholic precinct site plan. Image: Supplied

The Catholic Bishop of Christchurch Michael Gielen is reviewing plans for a replacement Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament on church-owned land opposite Victoria Square.

Michael Gielen.

Gielen took over as bishop in May last year, inheriting an ambitious $500m plan negotiated between developer Philip Carter and acting bishop Paul Martin, including a $40m cathedral on Colombo St to replace the Barbadoes St basilica, which was destroyed by the February 22, 2011 earthquake.

At the time, a resource consent was expected to be lodged in a few months. It was predicted the cathedral might be completed by 2025.

Two months later Gielen was appointed and he has now paused the project. No resource consent application has been lodged.

“Technically, to say the cathedral project is now being reviewed is correct,” said diocese general manager Simon Thompson, “but Bishop Michael just wants to make sure he gets it right.”

In the March 2022 CathNews newsletter, Thompson described the Victoria Square project as an exciting development rising from the ruins of the devastating earthquakes.

New buildings proposed in March last year, looking from the Avon River south towards Cathedral Square. Image: Supplied

He said it would be a fantastic addition to the city, a place where people, including tourists, would be able to “bump into Catholicism”.

Thompson said this week: “The pace of things does sometimes take a while. The Catholic Church, I am often reminded, has been around for 2000 years and will be around for a while longer.”

However, it is important to know the bishop and Philip Carter are still on the same page when it comes to wider development of the project, he said.

In a written statement to The Star, Gielen said: “I am conscious the cathedral is a large financial commitment for the diocese. It will be a legacy of my tenure as bishop of Christchurch, and as such I want to be as comfortable as possible with any decision on the development project, as anyone in my position would.”

He also said: “I have a steadfast commitment to creating thriving parishes and building a worthy cathedral within the diocese of Christchurch.”

The current stage one plan, looking north-east across Armagh St, with the car park entrance opposite The Piano. Image: Supplied

Thompson said the church was committed to the central city, but was having a good hard look at the size, scale and financial implications of the project.

“We have also looked at other sites as part of this process, including the Barbadoes St site,” he said.

While a resource consent for stage one of the Catholic precinct – a Carter Group commercial development – is with the city council, Carter was recently reported as saying he is no longer interested in providing a 600-space car park as part of it.