Sacred Spaces

During our recent trip to New Zealand, my Dearly Beloved and I were fortunate enough to encounter a series of beautiful cathedrals and churches, thanks to the fact that many NZ cities have done a lot of work in retaining and restoring their colonial architectural heritage. And thanks to my Dearly Beloved being a wiz with the digital camera, I can now share some of these wonderful sacred spaces with you.

Rotorua

St Faith's Anglican Church, constructed in its present form in 1910, is part of the Ohinemutu Maori village complex in Rotorua. It sits on the edge of a square within the village that also houses a traditional Maori meeting hall, as well as beautiful examples of Maori wood carvings.

Photography was not permitted inside the church, however, I can tell you that it was stunningly beautiful. Maori wood carvings and weavings were combined with stain glass windows to produce a wonderfully peaceful and reverential worship space.

Wellington

The capital of New Zealand impressed us with its fine old colonial architecture, and that fact that many splendid old buildings have been given new leases of life. However, as we were only in Wellington overnight before heading down to the South Island, we weren't able to really investigate the churches of this picturesque city (we were especially sad that we missed out on seeing Old St Paul's cathedral, which is reputed to be absolutely splendid).

However, near the hotel where we were staying was a rather impressive looking Presbyterian church. We didn't go in as it was late in the evening and we thought in any event that it might be closed, however, I think you'll agree from this exterior shot that it looks as though it may have been worth investigating had we the chance to do so.

Nelson

Apart from the fact that Nelson is a charming town with a beautifully preserved central business district, it boasts one of the most magnificent cathedrals I have seen anywhere. Christ Church cathedral sits on a hill overlooking the CBD; it was the third church to be constructed at its location, and took 40 years from 1925 to build. The first thing you notice about the cathedral, aside from its imposing location, is its unusual spire:

The interior is possessed of a stark, ethereal beauty: there is an absolute minimum of architectural embellishment, nor do the columns create the cluttered, almost claustrophobic atmosphere that exists in some cathedrals. And there is a real sense of presence in this church, in that one feels as though they are coming into an encounter with both the immanence and the transcendence of God.

But the real glory of Christ Church cathedral is its stain glass windows. So I'll shut up now and let the pictures do the talking:

All I can say is that I truly felt as though I had been in a house of God.

Dunedin

Dunedin is such a treasure trove of historic buildings that it is impossible to see them all in one trip. Consequently, we missed out on seeing the First Church and Knox Church (both designed by the Melbourne architect R A Lawson), as well as other landmarks such as Lanarch Castle.

But we did manage to get a look at St Joseph's cathedral:

as well as St Paul's cathedral, which sits in the very heart of this historic city:

Like Nelson's Christ Church cathedral, St Paul's in Dunedin was a place of simple, yet powerful, beauty, projecting an atmosphere of space and peace that was at once both strikingly reverential and yet intimately engaging. Like Dunedin, there was a real sense of both the immanence and transcendence of God:


And also like Dunedin, the stain glass windows were beautiful and evocative. Just up the road from the cathedral was a smaller Anglican church that we had been informed was worth visiting. Unfortunately, it was closed for renovations, which was a pity given the promise indicated by the exterior:

Christchurch

Christchurch is simply too beautiful for words, with a wealth of historic buildings all within easy walking distance of one another, and focused around Cathedral Square in the heart of the city.

As the name suggests, the square is the location for Christ Church cathedral. Construction commenced in 1864, but due to various difficulties and delays, it was not until the early 1900's that the cathedral was completed.



I must confess that I found the atmosphere of this cathedral slightly oppressive. The ornate interior, in my mind, did not contrast favourably with the simple aesthetic of its counterparts in Dunedin and Nelson. It just struck me as a trifle overblown, indeed, as a distraction from worship, meditation, and prayer. But there was no denying that it was still a magnificent structure, and the stain glass windows were stunning:







Just to the south of the cathedral was the church of St Michael and All Angels. Erected in 1872, it is built in the revivalist Gothic style, and constructed entirely of timber. One of its design idiosyncrasies is a detached belfry, which is actually older than the church by more than a decade.



The interior of this church just has to be seen to be believed. The magnificence of the timber craftsmanship combines with the glorious stain glass windows to create a space that is at once powerfully beautiful and yet infused with an air of serene contemplativeness. Of especial significance is the traditional Maori treasure safe hung over the altar, in which consecrated but unused hosts are kept, a moving confluence of history and cultures.







So there you have it: a snapshot of our tour of some of New Zealand's sacred spaces. However, it is worth bearing in mind that, for many among the indigenous Maori population, the landscape itself is sacred. And as I post further updates displaying the beautiful New Zealand countryside, it should become apparent as to why this is the case.

Talk to you soon,

BB

Quote for the Day: Light (God's eldest daughter) is a principal beauty in building. (Thomas Fuller)