ROMAN CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL AUCKLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13861, 26 March 1907, Page 2

ROMAN CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL AUCKLAND.

CFKOU OUE OWS Cormsiohmht.) AUCKLAND, March 23. It is not often, although it somotiniei happens, that congregations outgrow their churches, but this is tho ease with St. Patrick's Roman Gatholio Cathedral, Auck-/ -land. It has long- been altogether too small for tho attendanco at the services, especially 011 Sunday cvonings. Almost, every Sunday evening people have to bo turned away for want of seating, and oven standing, room. Bishop Lonihan saw that must bo dono to meet this urgont need, and steps wero taken without nmluo delay io enlarge tho cathodal by tho romoval of tho old Milestone transept, •originally tho church itself, and rebuilding a larger transept in a stylo agreeable to tho nave of tho existing building. The ..material is brick and cement plaster, which lias the merit of cheapness, if not beauty. It was asked of tho Bishop if he would not prefer that tho trausopt .should be built of Btono, so that when funds permitted the wholo building might bo rc-orected in that material, and a cathedral raised such as would bo a worthy temporal representation of tho spirit of the great communion ■whoso mombors worship within its walls. Tlic Bishop's -reply waa .characteristic. " I would, of course, liko to see .-a. very beauti-' ful catltcdral erected in stone, but tho cost would bo enormous, and in tho circuin:stancoa I think it hotter that there should 1)0 a .number of churches distributed in (.Aucldand and its environs than that an -enormous sum of money 'should be spent iupon one church only." In tho cathedral -when completed there will bo no want of harmony of etylo, for it is to bo Gotliio throughout : >i arrangement, furniture, and deco l .on—ovcry'thing in unison. Tho church building is "by the addition made truly cruciform. -Its sanctuary is actually situated in tho '.cast,, and its west.door agrees with that tipoint of tho compass, 'i'he new transept .is 110 ft long by 40ft wide, and the total l-iengtli of tho nave (inside measurement) 1 is now 132 ft, with a uniform width of 4ft. The central feature oE tho church is tho high altar, tire table of sacrifice, as-it may be called—a very beautiful piece-of work of snow-white Carrara marble, inlaid with panels of richly-Ogured oolourod marble, onyx, and malachite, all wrought-.-in geometrical patterns. The high altar has been raised over 4Tfc abovo its ordinal level, and will lie approached by a flight' of five marblo steps from Hie floor of the sancI tuary. In front will be erected a communion rail oapablo of accommodating-20 communicants at one time.