Adelaide City of Churches - the other cathedral, the Catholic one.

So now I come to the other cathedral, the older one, the Catholic one - dedicated to Saint Francis Xavier, patron of missionary countries, and patron to their first bishop, Francis Murphy (1844-1858)
Actually followers of this blog will know that the Catholic Cathedral is only older than the Anglican Cathedral by just a few years.
What mattered to me was that both cathedrals stand proud in their own territories, neither dwarfed by adjacent high rise blocks, which sadly is the fate of many of the churches I tracked down in this beautiful city.
And joy of joys, it was open! (7.30 am to 6.30 pm the website tells us - and that it is a busy church with several daily masses). And as a result there was a steady stream of people coming and going, lighting candles, kneeling in prayer, some just sitting quietly in their own space, meditating or simply taking in the atmosphere around them, perhaps seeking solace in the spirituality and peace of the place. Private times - meeting the needs of that moment - and what a church is all about after all!
Much of what is written here I found in the information leaflet I picked up at the door which warmly welcomed me and invited me to walk around and take photos if I wished. It just asked for mobile phones to be switched off, and for visitors not to walk around during a service. Actually I felt a wee bit intrusive taking photos anyway - and was very careful to move around very quietly and as unobtrusively as possible. The peace and spirituality of the place was palpable.
Work began on this lovely building in 1851, and it was so designed tht it could be put up in stages as money became available - a very practical plan.

But it all got off to a rocky start as the lure of the gold rush in Victoria was too much for the architect and most of the labour force who went to seek fortune elsewhere! In spite of such difficulties the first foundation stone was laid in 1856 and stage one of the cathedral was opened and blessed in 1858.
Work continued in stages and the tower was completed as recently as 1996, the whole cathedral dedicated on 11th July 1996 by Archbishop Faulkner. So perhaps that man on the road crossing (see previous blog) thought of this cathedral as the new one after all!?

Some things to look out for:

The octagonal font, and behind this the statue of St John the Baptist, both carved in Tuscany, Italy, in 1925.

 The doors going in to the central nave feature stained glass panels of coats of arms of various popes and bishops, and of the city of Adelaide, and other symbols representing the phoenix, pelican, Baptism and the Eucharist for example. 

Three beautiful stained glass windows dominating the chancel, showing significant events in the lives of Jesus and Mary.

The pulpit was carved by a South Australian wood carver W Price, and is dedicated to those who died in World War 1. It features grapes and vines, a 14th cntury design, symbolising the Eucharist.

This statue caught my eye before I even entered the cathedral. It is of Mary MacKillop, Australia's first saint, recognised for her pioneering work in education. The sculptor was J Rolovink.Isn't it lovely?

Then as I was walking back from visiting other churches - another day - another story or two to tell - I found this plaque on a rock in, I think, Hindmarsh Square. It commemorates the first mass for the Catholic community celebrated on South Australia soil on 13th June 1840, long before the building of the cathedral - an example of "church" as a body of Christian worshippers without the need for a building as such.

Adelaide City of Churches - The old and the new cathedrals

Did you want the old one or the new one? "

View of the Anglican Cathedral from the Oval

Now that foxed me and half way across the busy North Terrace road just outside Adelaide railway station was not the time to start a further debate about this.
So once safely across the road, I studied the map again.
For some reason coming "down under" had totally disoriented me, everything did seem upside down, and I was going in totally the wrong direction - due South instead of due North.
Newly arrived in this very beautiful city, I was anxious on this my first Sunday here to celebrate All Saints and All Souls day and the Anglican Cathedral of St Peter's was my chosen venue for this most important service in the church calendar.
For subsequent Sundays I found the very pleasant walk across the new Torrens footbridge past the Oval cricket ground a much better route to the cathedral but this once I followed the main road ..... and made it with time to spare for the 10.30 choral Eucharist.

1877 font, marble with blackwood cover

And so glad I was to come. The welcome at the door was sincere and warm, the atmosphere within calm and spiritual, and the service just "up my street."

View down the nave to the High Altar

looking up to the lovely clerestory windows

Whilst recognising that this High Church style might not be for everyone - there are plenty of different styles and ways of doing "church" as the next few weeks on this blog will reveal - the swinging incense, heavenly choir, organ, colourful vestments, procession, wonderful hymns old and new etc - really do it for me spiritually, lifting me to another place for a glorious hour or more each Sunday. With the hospitality of tea, coffee and bisuits commonly served after most church services these days, I came away refreshed in body, mind and spirit, set up for another week.

the Peace Chapel

The foundation stone for this Anglican cathedral was laid on 29th June 1869, St Peter's Day, by Bishop Short. Building of the cathedral was completed in 1904 although regular services started in 1877. 

The Lady Chapel 

The Catholic Cathedral in Adelaide, which I shall write about later, dedicated to St Francis Xavier, is older by just thirteen years, if you consider when the foundation stone was laid, on 17th March 1856. This cathedral was seemingly first used in 1858 but building work continued with various extensions until 1996 when the tower was completed and Archbishop Faulkner dedicated the cathedral on 11 June 1996. So old or new? You choose!




For those interested in the detailed history of the cathedral and its many interesting artefacts there is excellent information at its website including a very good professional virtual photographic tour. Items include: the Westminster Stone, given in 1966 by Westminster Abbey London to mark its 900th birthday: the Canterbury Cross, dedicated by the Archbishop of Canterbury on 15th June 1935 at the Empire Service in Canterbury Cathedral; and much much more.  Enjoy!

Adelaide City of Churches

St Peter's Anglican Cathedral Adelaide

... as a friend told me when I said I was going to come here. So why is there so little readily available information about them? Indeed the only reference I could find in the Visitors' Guide to Adelaide which I picked up on arrival in the city was in the city map where just three churches are shown, the Catholic, Anglican and Greek Orthodox cathedrals. The Guide's Contents listing directs me to shopping, nightlife, arts and culture, attractions, events, markets, parks and gardens, and so on, but any mention of churches, even these three great cathedral buildings?  No!
This is a shame, because these cathedral churches alone offer much for the visitor to see and enjoy.
So why isn't Adelaide, City of Churches, directing its visitors to them?
I decided to dig deeper, and found a more detailed city map which helpfully shows twelve city churches, and even lists them. This was a good start! But it was only when I visited one of those listed did I find a little blue leaflet, which gives details of no less than 24 of the Christian churches of all denominations, and on the cover it says: "The Churches of Adelaide welcome you and invite you to their services." But it seems the visitor to this beautiful city is unlikely to find the churches unless he visits one!
And you don't have to attend any service, or even be a Christian, to appreciate much that these many churches can offer the visitor. 

Catholic Cathedral of Saint Francis Xavier

Armed with the list and the map, I embarked on a pilgrimage around all these holy places, and found many to be very well worth the visit, whether as tourist interested in the history and culture or simply appreciative of beautiful buildings; and whatever your faith, creed, religion, or spirituality. The first step on my pilgrimage was to attend a Sunday morning Eucharist at the Anglican Cathedral. That was a deeply spiritual experience for me and a good start! Divine music, with heavenly organ and choir and plenty of incense. And the post service hospitality for all was generous and friendly.

So I shall soon be starting a series here on Adelaide City of Churches, relating my experiences and hoping to put these buildings on the map again. I hope I shall thereby encourage visitors to go and see some of these buildings for themselves, whether as tourist or worshipper. And if you are far away from Australia I hope my photos and ramblings will still interest and inspire you:  perhaps to make your own pilgrimage to your own local churches, with an open mind to see what they have to offer.