Cathedral centennial celebrations

Press, 30 October 1981, Page 4

Cathedral centennial celebrations

Christchurch Cathedral culminates a year-long anniversary ‘ this week-end with two days of centennial celebrations.

The Cathedral was dedicated on All Saints’ Day (November 1), 1881, and this Sunday will be the day when the Cathedral officially enters its second century. The week-end’s celebrations will be attended by almost the full panoply of New Zealand’s Anglican hierarchy, the Governor-General (Sir David Beattie), and hundreds of local citizens who have obtained tickets to the various functions.

The guest of honour will be the Archbishop of York, the Most Rev. Stuart Blanch, the second highest officeholder in the Anglican Church, who arrived in Christchurch yesterday. The Catholic Bishop of Christchurch (the Most Rev. B. P. Ashby) will also attend some of the celebrations.

The week-end will begin this evening with the candle lighting ceremony to celebrate the St Margaret’s College founders’ day. This ceremony will be held at the Cathedral, instead of the school, especially for the celebrations.

All the celebrations that are open to the public have already proved popular — the Cathedral will be packed for the Sunday services and tickets are selling well for the garden party and concert tomorrow.

Local and visiting clergy will have a private meeting with the various church dignitaries tomorrow morning. Later tomorrow guests will be able to meet and mingle with the Archbishops of York and New Zealand and the various bishops at the centennial garden party in the grounds of Christ’s College. Tomorrow evening the Royal Christchurch Musical

Society will present "An Evening in Vienna,” at the Town Hall. The Mayor of Christchurch (Mr Hamish Hay) will welcome the Archbishop. of York and the visiting Bishops before the concert, which is open to the public. The anniversary day celebrations on Sunday will feature the Archbishop of York who will-conduct the 11 a.m. service. This will be televised live from the Cathedral. The Bishop of Christchurch (the Rt Rev. W. A. Pyatt) will be the celebrant.

During the service, Archbishop Blanch will dedicate a new stained-glass window in the Cathedral, designed by W. A. Sutton, of Christchurch. The highlight of the celebrations at the Cathedral itself will be the Choral Evensong on Sunday evening. The Governor-General and the Archbishop of New Zealand (the Most Rev. P. A.

Reeves) will read lessons identical to those read during the dedication of the Cathedral 100 years ago. Archbishop Blanch will also speak and the girls from Te Wai Pounamu College will perform the action songs they presented during the Queen’s visit. At the end of the service, at 8.15 p.m., the Archbishops and Bishops will move outside for an open-air address by Archbishop Blanch and a walkabout through Cathedral Square. A big crowd is expected for the open-air part of the evening, and several coffee stalls will supply refreshments.

All seats for the Cathedral services during the week-end have been reserved, but tickets are still available for the Town Hall concert (at the booking office) and for the garden party (at the Cathedral office). The citizens of

Christchurch are also invited to meet the Archbishop of York at the centennial dinner and ball at the Winter Garden on November 6, at 7.30 p.m. Tickets for the final celebration can be ordered by telephoning 795-950.

After the week of anniversary celebrations, which was preceded by almost a year of special services and events, the Cathedral can settle down only a few weeks before Christmas. Then the retirement of Dean M. L. Underhill will mean a period of settling in and adjustment for the new Dean — the Rev. M. J. Goodall is. Dean-desig-nate — and the Cathedral staff. Programme Tonight 7.30 p.in.—Candle-lighting ceremony, Christchurch Cathedral. Tomorrow' 2 p.m.—Centennial garden party, Christ’s College. 7.3 U p.m-—Royal

Christchurch Musical Society’s “An Evening In Vienna,”. Town Hall, preceded by the Mayoral welcome to the- Archbishop of York and visiting Bishops. Sunday 8 a.m.—Holy Communion, Cathedral. 11 a.m.—Choral Eucharist, Cathedral, televised live. 7 p.m.—Choral Evensong, Cathedral, followed by openair speech by the Archbishop of York and gathering in Cathedral Square from 8 p.m.