Cathedral of the
Blessed Virgin Mary
Location494 Grey Street, Hamilton East 3216
CountryNew Zealand
DenominationRoman Catholic
Weekly attendance1600
WebsiteCathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary
History
Former name(s)St Mary's Church
Founded1911-1912
DedicationBlessed Virgin Mary
Dedicated1980, 2008
Past bishop(s)Bishop Edward Gaines and Bishop Denis Brown
Architecture
Groundbreaking1911
Completed1975, 2008
Administration
DioceseHamilton
ParishCathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Clergy
Bishop(s)Bishop Stephen Lowe
Assistant priest(s)Fr Darren McFarlane, Fr Matthew Gibson
Deacon(s)Rev. Mr Peter Spiller
Laity
Parish administratorAndrea Savage, Shelley Vincent, Lila Billman, Frania Crowley

The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamilton, New Zealand. It was opened in 1975, replacing an earlier Neo-Classical building known as St Mary's Church which was built in 1911–1912.[1] The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary was dedicated and renamed on 27 April 1980 and rededicated, following refurbishment, on 7 November 2008.[2]

Sanctuary of the Cathedral
The Cathedral interior, featuring the Marian Shrine (left), Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament (centre-back) and the Sanctuary (centre-right)
The Marian Shrine in the Cathedral, featuring icons depicting the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries of The Rosary.
An Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary greets visitors in the main entrance - one of the many pieces of sacred art in the Cathedral.

The cathedral is particularly celebrated for a large stained glass window depicting the Resurrection of Christ. This was in the earlier St Mary's Church and was then placed in the rebuilt St Mary's church in 1975 and remained in place when that church was dedicated as the cathedral. "The steeple-like effect of this central window and bold cross above is a Hamilton landmark and it remains firmly in place in the remodelled cathedral, offering beauty and a sense of history".[3] This Resurrection window has been associated with Hamilton's "church on the hill" for more than 50 years. It was made for the early Church of Our Lady of the Rosary in the 1950s, by Dutch immigrant artist Martin (Martinus Wouterous) Roestenburg who lived and worked in Taihape.[4]

Mass Times

There are a variety of Mass times celebrated each weekend at the cathedral. These are:

The weekday Mass times at the cathedral are:

Notes

  1. ^ O'Sullivan, Dominic; Piper, Cynthia, eds. (2005). Standing Together: The Catholic Diocese of Hamilton 1840-2005. Wellington: Dunmore Press. p. 121. ISBN 978-1-8773-9907-7.
  2. ^ "Hamilton east of the river". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. 11 June 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  3. ^ Irvine, Denise (2009). Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary Hamilton. Hamilton: Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamilton, New Zealand. p. 25.
  4. ^ "Resurrection Window". The Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
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