Cathedral’s Role In City Life

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31222, 21 November 1966, Page 12

Cathedral’s Role In City Life

Christchurch Cathedral, through its staff could be the means by which the Church made contact with the city’s service clubs, City Council committees, trades councils and manufacturers’ organisations, “with all that is lively at the centre of this great city,” the Bishop of Christchurch (the Rt Rev. W. A. Pyatt) told the congregation at the installation of the Rev. M. L. Underhill as Dean of Christchurch yesterday afternoon.

The Cathedral should also be cherished “as a place where Christian opinion can be expressed without fear or favour, by means of sermon or by demonstration.” said Bishop Pyatt. “Let us never be daunted as we seek: thus to proclaim these ideas however unpopular they may sometimes seem to make us.”

A new phase of work in the Cathedral began with Dean Underhill, Bishop Pyatt said. Although established in the tradition of English cathedrals, its government had been more in the hands of the Bishop than in England where the Dean and Chapter had full control.

With the approval of this year’s Synod this had been changed and more control would be in the hands of the Dean and chapter.

The Cathedral had two equally important functions—that of serving as the mother church of the diocese and headquarters of the Bishop, and as the spiritual centre of the whole community of the city. Bishop Pyatt said. “On the one hand, it reaches back to its Anglican heritage and provides a centre for the Anglican religious culture ... on the other hand, it was established in this city and must bear witness to God before men of all creeds and of no creed in Ulis city.” Permission had recently been granted for the Cathedral to use the coat of arms of Christchurch, and he hoped that one day it would be displayed in banner and vestments, “as a sign of our mission to this city,” Bishop Pyatt said.

“This will be a sign to us that the Church does not exist to produce holy music and glorious architecture for itself. It does it for the Glory of God . . . but it is also to serve our fellowmen.” “In a very wonderful way. this Cathedral is accepted here as we try to serve. We have great occasions when the city really uses this placecivic and State services, school and scout services, women’s and men’s services—and I thank God that there is no diminution of this activity.”

The Cathedral also served the city day by day in the provision of services and bybeing a place in which to pray. Bishop Pyatt said.

“Men and women come here every hour of the day. Some are broken by the world and come to find peace. Others are challenged by the world and come to gain strength,” he said.