"A NOBLE SITE."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 127, 31 May 1935, Page 5

"A NOBLE SITE."

CATHEDRAL PROJECT.

j COMPREHENSIVE SCHEME. DIOCESE TO BE RESPONSIBLE. Special reference is made in the "Church Gazette" to the gift of £00.000 by the late Miss Horton, of Remuera, for the building of an Anglican cathedral at Parnell. "It brings within measurable distance a realisation of the dreams and visions of Bishop SelWyn, as oftentimes he stood on the site at Parnell and pictured the venerable pile of buildings which one day would crown the summit

of Parnell Hill," states the "Church Gazette.'*' "A noble site," was the description Bishop Selwyn applied to the locality. "The splendid lead made by Miss Horton should inspire the church people of Auckland to similar visions,", states the "Gagette." "Like Nelson Cathedral it would overlook the city and like Liverpool Cathedral it would catch and hold the eye of all who enter the magnificent harbour. "The City of Auckland has many noble civic buildings; its inhabitants are rightly proud of being citizens of no mean city, but ecclesiastically it has lagged behind the southern centres despite the fact that the diocese is virtually the cradle of Christianity in the land. Through the foresight of its founders, Christeliurch long since has had its cathedral; Nelson has just completed its new cathedral in stone at a cost of over £75.000; Dunedin lias already built a stately chancel and transepts, while Wellington has a large sum in hand for

its building. The gift to Auckland comes, therefore, as a challenge and an inspiration to its people. Developmental work in town and country parishes rightly takes precedence or work in the building of a cathedral, but after a lapse of nearly a century the time is ripe for a task which should be an inspiration to all. A Big Task. "The undertaking of a big task j invariably results in the enlarge- | ment of vision, and it is a vision jof the future that church people in New Zealand need. The Church has a splendid heritage and tradition, but lit requires the forward look. In the ! years to come, this country will carry I a population of from 12 to I~> millions i of people, and it is not unreasonable to suppose that within the next century (lie population of the metropolitan area of Auckland, which is now over 300.000, will reach the million mark. The needs of, the future have to be considered by the Church. There is always the human tendency to think of the past as longer than the future. But the Church, despite its 1000 years of existence in the world and its lQli years in this land, is a mere infant-in-arms so far as the future is concerned, and it is imperative that in building a cathedral, which shall endure throughout all the generations, the Church should so build that its cathedral will be in keeping with the ultimate size and dignity of the city. The situation demands the building of the cathedral in sections and the plans so designed that future generations will have the privilege of completing the work. "The Diocesan Synod at its next session in October will certainly take decisive action to launch a comprehensive scheme, and whatever may be the nature of the appeal, there will undoubtedly be a fine response. The parishioners of Parnell need have no fear that the responsibility for the cost of the fabric and the maintenance of the building and of its services will have to be met solely by them. The responsibility will be assumed by the whole dioccse and bv the city of Auckland."