One of the stone crosses that sits atop Taranaki Cathedral will be removed early tomorrow morning. The Cathedral Project design and remediation manager Jenny Goddard said the cross, which is on the northern gable and faces Vivian Street, could be a safety concern and would be taken down by crane. “As part of the earthquake-strengthening of the building, it has always been planned for the crosses on top of the cathedral to be removed and then reinstated when the remediation is... read more

The Cathedral Project design and remediation manager Jenny Goddard (centre) speaks with building services engineer Patrick Arnold, of eCubed, and project architect Brenda Solon, of Tennent Brown Architects, at Taranaki Cathedral. The people who have been entrusted with developing the plans for the earthquake strengthening and refurbishment of Taranaki Cathedral came together on-site this week, gathering information for the last push towards a finalised design. “It’s a mark of how much closer the project is getting to actually physically starting,”... read more

Cathedral Kaumatua, the Venerable Tikitūterangi (Tiki) Raumati ONZM passed away on the morning of August 30th after a short illness. read more

Rob Baigent-Ritchie talks to Sarah Foy One cathedral inspired Rob Baigent-Ritchie’s spiritual convictions, now he’s ministering at another cathedral in a different island. Rob, an associate priest at Taranaki Cathedral who is married to Annie Baigent-Ritchie, became a Christian in 1971 at Christchurch Cathedral. He grew up in the city, and as a youngster attending St Barnabas’ church with his parents, remembers loving parables and the stories of the New Testament. “Not just the gospel stories about Jesus but about all... read more

Taranaki Cathedral will be marking the 125th Anniversary of Women's Suffrage in New Zealand with a commemorative service at 12 noon on Wednesday 19th September at the Interim Cathedral. The 45-minute service will be a celebration of the event of Women's Suffrage in New Zealand and an opportunity to hear the struggles of women for and in public office and also be a challenge to women for future civic engagement and participation. Speakers will include Charmaine Sarten, president of the Aotea... read more

Matt Cathcart, left, and Toa MacDonald, of Clelands Construction, excavate the foundations of Taranaki Cathedral’s oldest wall, which was built in 1846. The Cathedral Project is digging into the church’s past to ensure there is a strong base on which to build the cathedral’s future. Excavation investigation work of the 172-year-old building’s foundations is being undertaken as part of the project to earthquake strengthen and refurbish the historic cathedral – New Zealand’s oldest stone church. “The project’s engineers, Holmes Consulting,... read more

The re-opening of Taranaki Cathedral is a step closer following the granting of resource consent for the earthquake strengthening and refurbishment of the historic church. “It’s a really pleasing result and an important milestone,” The Cathedral Project remediation and design manager Jenny Goddard said after the New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) reported its decision. “It gives us surety around the design for the remediation of the cathedral and enables the drawings to now be developed further by a range of specialists... read more

New Plymouth lawyer Ian Mitchell, a St Mary’s parishioner whose distinguished service to the community included 34 years on the Taranaki Anglican Trust Board, died in July 2018, a month short of his 90th birthday. Ian was born in Blenheim in 1928. He boarded at Nelson College before studying law at Victoria University, and then practised law at Govett Quilliam for 41 years, 25 of them as the senior partner. Ian supported many organisations professionally, including the New Plymouth District and... read more