Blog

A reflection from The Right Reverend Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, the Bishop of Waikato The season of Advent is my favourite time of the Church’s year: a time of new beginnings as we anticipate Christmas, a time of watching and waiting. Of course it is also the time of year when the weather is getting warmer (we hope) and the pop and sizzle of sausages on the BBQ once again becomes a sign that the outdoors is where you’ll find most people... read more

Retired journalist Mark Birch has been trawling through the St Mary’s archives and published booklets. These are one view of history, often written for a particular time and context. Through the Cathedral Project we hope to tell more of our church and regional stories. These profiles are a start. Red Cross queen carnivals encouraged gambling and placed girls in moral danger, according to the fourth Vicar of St Mary's, the Revd. A. H. Colvile (1912-17). He said the gambling associated... read more

Advent and Christmas at Taranaki Cathedral Advent will shortly be upon us, a new Church year, the time when we, the Church enter that time of anticipation and waiting as we begin the annual re-telling of the story of our salvation in Jesus Christ. here are our special events this Advent season. Wednesday 29th Nov, 7.30pm Ecumenical Service - Blessing of the Advent Wreaths Each year we join with our Roman Catholic friends and other Anglican parishes to share an... read more

Year by year we Kiwis and Aussies gather on Anzac Day to recall the horrors of war and commit ourselves to working for peace. For us it has become a national day of mourning of soul searching and commitment. Gallipoli is at the core of our remembrance and the focus for that day. Of course we lament the deaths of all in war whenever that has been. Today we commemorate the signing of the armistice which ended the first world war.... read more

Grappling with Taranaki’s history – the delightful and the devastating – is motivating a series of historical gatherings called Our Shared Story. Rob Green, Rob Baigent-Ritchie and Ailsa Claridge will lead the monthly workshops at the cathedral, open to the public, with the first one having got underway. From left: Rob Baigent-Ritchie, Revd. Ailsa Claridge, and Rob Green. As well as introducing people to different parts of our history, it’s also hoped the project will unearth family stories and documents. Rob... read more

The Revd. Canon David Pearce : 10 July 1931 – 23 September 2017 read more

St Mary's parishioner Rosemary Bent has inspired members of the Association of Anglican Women and Mothers' Union in Aotearoa and Pasifika with her work in Overseas and Outreach. This year she received a certificate of recognition from the AAW executive. Born in England, Rosemary came to New Zealand in 1962, and met her husband Michael when she was working for the Christian Mission Service. The couple lived in New Plymouth during Michael's term as Vicar of St Mary's (1976-85), and later... read more

The Ellmoos family, 'first timers ' at our Taranaki Cathedral cafe enjoying a hearty breakfast. Over the last three years we have raised over $61,000 for projects in NZ and overseas which support the most marginalised people. Now we are supporting Rahingya refugees who have fled to Bangladesh. Thank you everyone! Every Tuesday from 7.30 am to 10 AM in the Hatherly Hall of the cathedral. read more

Retired journalist Mark Birch has been trawling through the St Mary’s archives and published booklets. These are one view of history, often written for a particular time and context. Through the Cathedral Project we hope to tell more of our church and regional stories. These profiles are a start. Several developments at St Mary's took place during the tenure (1898-1910) of the third Vicar, Frank George Evans, who succeeded the long-serving Archdeacon Henry Govett. Evans arrived in New Zealand from... read more

From 25th September, the proceeds from the Taranaki Cathedral Community Café on Tuesday mornings will be given to the World Vision appeal for Rohingya Refugees. Over 420,000 Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh since August 2017. After escaping from violence in their villages in Myanmar, they are arriving traumatised, exhausted and hungry. Most have walked for days through jungles and across mountains, rivers and vast rice fields to reach safety. World Vision teams are on the ground in Bangladesh - they... read more