St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne
Encyclopedia
St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne, is the metropolitical and cathedral
church of the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne
, Victoria
in Australia
. It is the seat of the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne and Metropolitan
of the Province of Victoria. The cathedral, which was built in stages, is a major Melbourne
landmark.
and Flinders Street
. It is diagonally opposite Flinders Street Station
, which was the transport hub of 19th century Melbourne and is still an important centre.
Immediately to the south of the cathedral, across Flinders Street, is the new public heart of Melbourne, Federation Square
. Continuing south down Swanston Street is Princes Bridge
which crosses the Yarra River
, leading to St Kilda Road
. The cathedral therefore commands the southern approaches to the city.
The location for St Paul's Cathedral marks the location of the first Christian service held in Melbourne in 1835. Previous buildings in this location include a corn market and St Paul's Parish Church.
St Paul's Cathedral is built on the site where the first public Christian service in Melbourne was conducted in 1835. The area of the current site became a corn market until 1848, when it was made available for the construction of St Paul's Parish Church, a bluestone
church. St Paul's Parish Church was consecrated in 1852 and was in use until 1885 when it was demolished to make way for the current cathedral.
A distinguished English architect, William Butterfield
, designed the cathedral, in the architectural style of Gothic
transitional. The foundation stone was laid in 1880 and, on 22 January 1891, the cathedral was consecrated. St Paul's replaced St James Old Cathedral
which then stood on the corner of William Street and Collins Street - later moved to a site near the Flagstaff Gardens
. The erection of the spires began in 1926, to the design of John Barr
of Sydney
instead of Butterfield's original design. The 1960s saw extensive work completed to the exterior of the cathedral and the T.C. Lewis Organ was restored in 1989 by a major National Trust appeal.
Major restoration works were completed in 2009 with significant repairs to the spires, the building of the Moorhouse Tower Lantern and the new processional doors.
Although there was no established church in colonial Victoria, most of the colony's establishment were Anglicans and the Church of England
(as it was then) was given the best site in Melbourne for its cathedral. At the time of its construction St Paul's was the tallest building in central Melbourne and dominated the city's skyline. The growth of multi-storey buildings in central Melbourne during the 20th century robbed St Paul's of its commanding position and restricted views from many angles. The recent construction of Federation Square, which involved the demolition of a pair of adjacent highrise buildings
, the Gas and Fuel Buildings, has improved the cathedral's visibility from the south.
St Paul's is built in a revival of the style known as Gothic transitional
, being partly Early English and partly Decorated. It was designed by the distinguished English architect William Butterfield
, who was noted for his ecclesiastical work. The foundation stone was laid in 1880. Butterfield never saw the site and the building work was frequently delayed by disputes between Butterfield in England and the church authorities in Melbourne. Butterfield resigned in 1884 and the building was finished by a local architect, Joseph Reed
. Consequently the design of the spires differs greatly from those originally planned (similar to those built at Christ Church, South Yarra). The cathedral chapter have a scale model of the original completed design.
The cathedral was consecrated on 22 January 1891, but the building of the spires did not begin until 1926. The spires were designed by John Barr of Sydney
. An organ
was imported from England and is acknowledged as the finest surviving work of T. C. Lewis, one of the most prominent organ builders of the 19th century. Besides Sunday and weekday Eucharist
s the cathedral also has a tradition of a daily choral Evensong
, one of the few Anglican cathedrals outside the British Isles
to do so.
St Paul's is unusual among Melbourne's great 19th century public buildings in that it is not made from bluestone
, the city's dominant building material. Instead it is made from sandstone
from the Barrabool Hills and limestone embellishments of Waurn Ponds limestone, both from near Geelong, giving the cathedral a warm yellow-brown colouring rather than Melbourne's characteristic cold blue-grey. This gives it a strikingly different appearance to the bluestone Gothic of St Patrick's
Roman Catholic
cathedral on the eastern edge of the city. Because the spires are made from Sydney sandstone and are 30 years newer, they are of a darker tone than the older parts of the building. St Paul's Moorhouse Tower is the second highest Anglican spire in the world, the tallest being that of Salisbury Cathedral
.
By the 1990s the constant traffic vibration of central Melbourne had led to concerns about the structural soundness of the cathedral, particularly the spires. A public appeal, led by the then Dean of Melbourne, the Very Reverend David Richardson
, raised A$18 million to restore the spires and improve the interior of the building. The seven-year restoration project was completed in 2009, under the guidance of Falkinger Andronas Architects and Heritage Consultants. The restoration works were undertaken by Cathedral Stone. The restoration works were acknowledged by the Australian Institute of Architects with the Llachlan Macquarie National Award for Heritage Architecture 2009.
As part of the work, stone heads of Dean David Richardson and philanthropist
Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, created by Melbourne sculptor
Smiley Williams and carved by stonemason Daryl Gilbert, were added to the spires and new dalle de verre glass was created by Janusz and Magda Kuszbicki for the new west doors and the "Eighth Day" lantern in the Moorhouse Tower.
The Dean of St Paul's Cathedral is also known as the Dean of Melbourne.
Deans of Melbourne
The Director of Music at St Paul's Cathedral is also the lead organist.
The current Director of Music, June Nixon, was awarded a Lambeth doctorate
by the Archbishop of Canterbury
in 1999. This recognised her long contribution to choral and organ music and marks the first woman to be so honoured.
Originally formed in 1888 in conjunction with the choir of All Saints' St Kilda, the cathedral choir
led the procession for the official opening in 1891. The choir sings at Evensong throughout the week and for two of the four Sunday services. The choir is also called upon for special occasions including chapter Evensongs, synod services, state funerals, concerts, carol services and seasonal services.
The choir have worn cassocks of a deep burgundy colour, matching the stencil design hue on the organ pipes, since the early 1990s. Originally the choir wore traditional black cassocks and white surplices, but with the introduction of An Australian Prayer Book in the late 1970s, new cassocks of a green colour approximating that of the new prayer book cover (and coincidentally, that of the visible organ pipework at the time) were introduced and surplices were discontinued. On a visit to the cathedral in 1985 by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, a somewhat astonished Robert Runcie
exclaimed that he had "never seen a cathedral choir wearing green robes before". With the restoration of the organ in the early 1990s, surplices were restored and cassocks of a deep burgundy were introduced matching the new stencil design hue on the organ pipes.
Unique to St Paul's Cathedral is the boys choir role of "Dean's Chorister" created by the Very Revd David Richardson
. The Dean's Chorister primarily has the role of leading the choir with the "virge" or ceremonial mace, a task traditionally performed by the head chorister.
made a brief visit to the cathedral in recognition of the dialogue between the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches in Melbourne fostered by respective former archbishops, the Most Reverend Sir Frank Woods (Anglican) and the Most Reverend Sir Frank Little (Roman Catholic).
The cathedral choir sang Ecce vicit Leo as the Pope entered the cathedral. After this the Pope prayed for Christian unity and lit a metre-long candle. A memorial chapel (see below) commemorates this historic occasion: the third time in four centuries when a Pope had entered an Anglican cathedral.
service featuring the choir was recorded by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
and telecast Australia-wide on Christmas Eve.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
church of the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne
Anglican Diocese of Melbourne
The Anglican Diocese of Melbourne is the metropolitan diocese of the Province of Victoria in the Anglican Church of Australia. The diocese includes the urban cities of Melbourne and Geelong and also some more rural areas. The cathedral church is St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is the seat of the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne and Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
of the Province of Victoria. The cathedral, which was built in stages, is a major Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
landmark.
Location
The cathedral is located in the centre of Melbourne, on the eastern corner of Swanston StreetSwanston Street, Melbourne
Swanston Street is a major thoroughfare in the centre of Melbourne, Australia. It is historically one of the main streets of central Melbourne, laid out in 1837 as part of the Hoddle Grid, the layout of major streets that makes up the central business district...
and Flinders Street
Flinders Street, Melbourne
Flinders Street is a notable street in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Running roughly parallel to the Yarra River, Flinders Street forms the southern edge of the Hoddle Grid. It is exactly one mile in length and one and half chains in width...
. It is diagonally opposite Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station is the central railway station of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets next to the Yarra River in the heart of the city, stretching from Swanston Street to Queen Street and covering two city...
, which was the transport hub of 19th century Melbourne and is still an important centre.
Immediately to the south of the cathedral, across Flinders Street, is the new public heart of Melbourne, Federation Square
Federation Square
Federation Square is a civic centre and cultural precinct in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
. Continuing south down Swanston Street is Princes Bridge
Princes Bridge, Melbourne
Princes Bridge, originally Prince's Bridge, is an important bridge in central Melbourne, Australia that spans the Yarra River. It is built on the site of one of the oldest river crossings in Australia. The bridge connects Swanston Street on the north bank of the Yarra River to St Kilda Road on the...
which crosses the Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
, leading to St Kilda Road
St Kilda Road, Melbourne
St Kilda Road is a street in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is part of the locality of Melbourne which has the postcode of 3004 and along with Swanston Street forms a major spine of the city....
. The cathedral therefore commands the southern approaches to the city.
The location for St Paul's Cathedral marks the location of the first Christian service held in Melbourne in 1835. Previous buildings in this location include a corn market and St Paul's Parish Church.
History
Bluestone
Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including:*a feldspathic sandstone in the U.S. and Canada;*limestone in the Shenandoah Valley in the U.S...
church. St Paul's Parish Church was consecrated in 1852 and was in use until 1885 when it was demolished to make way for the current cathedral.
A distinguished English architect, William Butterfield
William Butterfield
William Butterfield was a Gothic Revival architect and associated with the Oxford Movement . He is noted for his use of polychromy-Biography:...
, designed the cathedral, in the architectural style of Gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
transitional. The foundation stone was laid in 1880 and, on 22 January 1891, the cathedral was consecrated. St Paul's replaced St James Old Cathedral
St James Old Cathedral
thumb|300px|St James Old Cathedral, MelbourneSt James Old Cathedral, an Anglican church, is the oldest church in Melbourne, Australia, and one of only three buildings in the central city which predate the Gold Rush of 1851...
which then stood on the corner of William Street and Collins Street - later moved to a site near the Flagstaff Gardens
Flagstaff Gardens, Melbourne
Flagstaff Gardens is the oldest park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, first established in 1862. In 2005 it is one of the most visited and widely used parks in the city by nearby office workers and tourists...
. The erection of the spires began in 1926, to the design of John Barr
John Barr
John Barr was an Ontario-based Canadian physician and political figure. He represented Dufferin in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1875 to 1879, from 1890 to 1894 and from 1898 to 1904 and in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1909 as a Conservative member...
of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
instead of Butterfield's original design. The 1960s saw extensive work completed to the exterior of the cathedral and the T.C. Lewis Organ was restored in 1989 by a major National Trust appeal.
Major restoration works were completed in 2009 with significant repairs to the spires, the building of the Moorhouse Tower Lantern and the new processional doors.
Although there was no established church in colonial Victoria, most of the colony's establishment were Anglicans and the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
(as it was then) was given the best site in Melbourne for its cathedral. At the time of its construction St Paul's was the tallest building in central Melbourne and dominated the city's skyline. The growth of multi-storey buildings in central Melbourne during the 20th century robbed St Paul's of its commanding position and restricted views from many angles. The recent construction of Federation Square, which involved the demolition of a pair of adjacent highrise buildings
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
, the Gas and Fuel Buildings, has improved the cathedral's visibility from the south.
Architecture
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
, being partly Early English and partly Decorated. It was designed by the distinguished English architect William Butterfield
William Butterfield
William Butterfield was a Gothic Revival architect and associated with the Oxford Movement . He is noted for his use of polychromy-Biography:...
, who was noted for his ecclesiastical work. The foundation stone was laid in 1880. Butterfield never saw the site and the building work was frequently delayed by disputes between Butterfield in England and the church authorities in Melbourne. Butterfield resigned in 1884 and the building was finished by a local architect, Joseph Reed
Joseph Reed (architect)
Joseph Reed , a Cornishman by birth, was probably the most influential Victorian era architect in Melbourne, Australia. He established a practice, Reed and Barnes in Melbourne in 1852. The practice now known as Bates Smart is one of the oldest continually operating in the world.Reed's buildings...
. Consequently the design of the spires differs greatly from those originally planned (similar to those built at Christ Church, South Yarra). The cathedral chapter have a scale model of the original completed design.
The cathedral was consecrated on 22 January 1891, but the building of the spires did not begin until 1926. The spires were designed by John Barr of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. An organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
was imported from England and is acknowledged as the finest surviving work of T. C. Lewis, one of the most prominent organ builders of the 19th century. Besides Sunday and weekday Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
s the cathedral also has a tradition of a daily choral Evensong
Evening Prayer (Anglican)
Evening Prayer is a liturgy in use in the Anglican Communion and celebrated in the late afternoon or evening...
, one of the few Anglican cathedrals outside the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
to do so.
Bluestone
Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including:*a feldspathic sandstone in the U.S. and Canada;*limestone in the Shenandoah Valley in the U.S...
, the city's dominant building material. Instead it is made from sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
from the Barrabool Hills and limestone embellishments of Waurn Ponds limestone, both from near Geelong, giving the cathedral a warm yellow-brown colouring rather than Melbourne's characteristic cold blue-grey. This gives it a strikingly different appearance to the bluestone Gothic of St Patrick's
St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne
St Patrick's Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, and seat of its archbishop, currently Denis J. Hart. The building is known internationally as a leading example of the Gothic Revival style of architecture.In 1974 Pope Paul VI...
Roman Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
cathedral on the eastern edge of the city. Because the spires are made from Sydney sandstone and are 30 years newer, they are of a darker tone than the older parts of the building. St Paul's Moorhouse Tower is the second highest Anglican spire in the world, the tallest being that of Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture....
.
By the 1990s the constant traffic vibration of central Melbourne had led to concerns about the structural soundness of the cathedral, particularly the spires. A public appeal, led by the then Dean of Melbourne, the Very Reverend David Richardson
David John Leyburn Richardson
David John Leyburn Richardson ChStJ is an Australian-born Anglican priest and former cathedral dean who is currently the director of the Anglican Centre in Rome.- Early life and ministry :...
, raised A$18 million to restore the spires and improve the interior of the building. The seven-year restoration project was completed in 2009, under the guidance of Falkinger Andronas Architects and Heritage Consultants. The restoration works were undertaken by Cathedral Stone. The restoration works were acknowledged by the Australian Institute of Architects with the Llachlan Macquarie National Award for Heritage Architecture 2009.
As part of the work, stone heads of Dean David Richardson and philanthropist
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, created by Melbourne sculptor
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
Smiley Williams and carved by stonemason Daryl Gilbert, were added to the spires and new dalle de verre glass was created by Janusz and Magda Kuszbicki for the new west doors and the "Eighth Day" lantern in the Moorhouse Tower.
Dean
The Dean of St Paul's Cathedral is also known as the Dean of Melbourne.
Deans of Melbourne
- Hussey Burgh Macartney (1852–1894) (Dean of St James' Cathedral)
- George Oakley Vance (1894–1910)
- Reginald Stephen (1910–1914)
- Charles John Godby (1914–1919)
- John Stephen HartJohn Stephen HartJohn Stephen Hart was the Bishop of Wangaratta in the Church of England in Australia .-Education and ministry:Hart graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1887 and was ordained in 1893...
(1919–1927) - George Ellis Aickin (1927–1932)
- Frederick Waldegrave Head (1934–1941)
- Henry Thomas Langley (1942–1947)
- Alfred Roscoe Wilson (1947–1953)
- Stuart Barton Babbage (1953–1962)
- Tom William Thomas (1962–1984)
- James Alexander Grant (1985–1999)
- David John Leyburn RichardsonDavid John Leyburn RichardsonDavid John Leyburn Richardson ChStJ is an Australian-born Anglican priest and former cathedral dean who is currently the director of the Anglican Centre in Rome.- Early life and ministry :...
(1999–2008) Dean Emeritus - Mark Gregory Burton (2009-present)
Music
Music is an integral part of worship at St Paul's, and is led by the Director of Music. The Music Foundation, established in 1993, provides funding for the musical life of St Paul's.Directors of Music
The Director of Music at St Paul's Cathedral is also the lead organist.
- Ernest Wood (1888–1914)
- A. E. Floyd (1914–1947)
- C. C. Campbell Ross (1947–1951)
- Lance Hardy (1951–1973)
- June Nixon (1973–present)
The current Director of Music, June Nixon, was awarded a Lambeth doctorate
Lambeth degree
A Lambeth degree is an academic degree conferred by the Archbishop of Canterbury under the authority of the Ecclesiastical Licences Act 1533 as successor of the papal legate in England...
by the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
in 1999. This recognised her long contribution to choral and organ music and marks the first woman to be so honoured.
Organ
The cathedral's pipe organ which was built by T. C. Lewis and Co of Brixton, England. Over six and half thousand pounds were spent on its construction, shipping and installation before it was played at the cathedral's opening in 1891. Various modifications and maintenance works have been carried out since then, culminating in a $726,000 restoration which was completed in 1990 with the help of a National Trust appeal. In its restored state the organ has four manuals with 44 stops and pedals with nine stops, all with electro-pneumatic action. It is housed in the cathedral's south transept behind newly-stencilled facade pipes.Choir
Originally formed in 1888 in conjunction with the choir of All Saints' St Kilda, the cathedral choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
led the procession for the official opening in 1891. The choir sings at Evensong throughout the week and for two of the four Sunday services. The choir is also called upon for special occasions including chapter Evensongs, synod services, state funerals, concerts, carol services and seasonal services.
The choir have worn cassocks of a deep burgundy colour, matching the stencil design hue on the organ pipes, since the early 1990s. Originally the choir wore traditional black cassocks and white surplices, but with the introduction of An Australian Prayer Book in the late 1970s, new cassocks of a green colour approximating that of the new prayer book cover (and coincidentally, that of the visible organ pipework at the time) were introduced and surplices were discontinued. On a visit to the cathedral in 1985 by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, a somewhat astonished Robert Runcie
Robert Runcie
Robert Alexander Kennedy Runcie, Baron Runcie, PC, MC was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1980 to 1991.-Early life:...
exclaimed that he had "never seen a cathedral choir wearing green robes before". With the restoration of the organ in the early 1990s, surplices were restored and cassocks of a deep burgundy were introduced matching the new stencil design hue on the organ pipes.
Unique to St Paul's Cathedral is the boys choir role of "Dean's Chorister" created by the Very Revd David Richardson
David John Leyburn Richardson
David John Leyburn Richardson ChStJ is an Australian-born Anglican priest and former cathedral dean who is currently the director of the Anglican Centre in Rome.- Early life and ministry :...
. The Dean's Chorister primarily has the role of leading the choir with the "virge" or ceremonial mace, a task traditionally performed by the head chorister.
Belfry
St Paul's has one of the few peals of 13 bells outside the British Isles. The bells were donated by Thomas Dyer Edwardes. They are rung regularly, with practice sessions held on Wednesday and Friday evenings.Significant occasions
St Paul's Cathedral has hosted many significant occasions in national and international history. St Paul's continues to be the choice location for many state funerals and has played host to many prime ministers, premiers, governors, governors-general and other significant people.Papal visit
On 28 November 1986, on his arrival in Melbourne, Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
made a brief visit to the cathedral in recognition of the dialogue between the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches in Melbourne fostered by respective former archbishops, the Most Reverend Sir Frank Woods (Anglican) and the Most Reverend Sir Frank Little (Roman Catholic).
The cathedral choir sang Ecce vicit Leo as the Pope entered the cathedral. After this the Pope prayed for Christian unity and lit a metre-long candle. A memorial chapel (see below) commemorates this historic occasion: the third time in four centuries when a Pope had entered an Anglican cathedral.
Christmas carol service recording
On 28 November 2007, a carolChristmas carol
A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.-History:...
service featuring the choir was recorded by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
and telecast Australia-wide on Christmas Eve.
Sundays
- 8.00am Holy Communion (1662 Book of Common Prayer)
- 9:15am Sung Eucharist (First Sunday of the month: Family Eucharist)
- 10.30am Choral Eucharist
- 6.00pm Choral Evensong (First Sunday of the month: Choral Eucharist)
Mondays to Fridays
- 7.45am Eucharist (Wednesday)
- 12.15pm Eucharist (Monday to Saturday)
- 5.10pm Evening Prayer (Monday and weekdays during school holidays)
- 5.10pm Choral Evensong (Tuesday - Friday during school term)
- 6.00pm Healing Service (Tuesday)
External links
- St Paul's Cathedral website
- Anglican Diocese of Melbourne website
- Disability information
- St Paul's Cathedral at Culture Victoria
- Falkinger Andronas Architects, Heritage Consultants