ST PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL
PARRAMATTA, NSW CATHOLIC
PAUL SCOTT
PLAN
St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta is very unusual. Shown above are two plans. A whole new construction took place after a disastrous fire in 1986 gutted the old Cathedral.
In the plan at left, the old Cathedral has become the new Blessed Sacrament Chapel (top right). This Chapel also serves as the main entry to the Cathedral proper. This is the large rectangular auditorium (top left) which is accessed from the Chapel by a connecting link.
We notice that in the new addition, the main entrance (via the link) is at the right (east) and the sanctuary at the left (west).
In the plan at right we see in more detail how the old Cathedral building has been transformed into a Chapel. There is detail given too about the many new windows.
A further complication in the Chapel is that the orientation has been completely reversed from that of the original Church. So originally, the Church sanctuary was to the south (bottom), and entry was to the north (top), under the tower. This has now been reversed with the new narthex to the south.
It seems sensible to dispense with liturgical directions for this Cathedral!
A brief history of the Cathedral is given below. However, if you want to begin your tour of the Cathedral immediately, tap / click on START . You can also access intermediate points in the tour by a tap / click on the following links:
NOTE ON MAGNIFYING IMAGES
With this website format the images are large enough for most purposes. If there is a need for greater magnification of an image, go to the identical photo on
https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulscottinfo/albums
and use Command - + (Mac) or Windows - + (Windows).
HISTORY
[Wikipedia]
St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta is the Cathedral Church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Parramatta and the seat and residence of the Catholic Bishop of Parramatta, NSW, currently the Most Reverend Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv.
History
With origins of the first mass occurring on the present day site of the Cathedral going back to 1803, St Patrick’s was extensively rebuilt after a 1996 fire devastated the original church which was established in 1854. A tower was built on the original St Patrick’s Church: this was consecrated in 1880 and blessed in 1883. A cast bronze bell was installed in the tower in 1904. As the needs of the parish grew, a new Church was built on the site in 1936 incorporating the existing tower and spire. When the Diocese of Parramatta was established in 1986, St Patrick’s Church was designated as St Patrick’s Cathedral.
Building design and works after the fire
Under Bishop Kevin Manning and Dean Peter G. Williams, the new building was designed by Romaldo Giurgola and the firm MGT Architects. Giurgola was commissioned in 1997 for the restoration and design of a new Cathedral complex after a fire destroyed the previous building. Giurgola was the architect of the new Australian Parliament House in Canberra.
A program of major art works, craft and special design for the cathedral was also undertaken at the same time so that the art, architecture and furnishings of the new Cathedral would be in harmony. The commissioned artists included Sydney sculptor Anne Ferguson (who worked in stone), Tasmanian designer Kevin Perkins (who worked in timber) and Sydney sculptor and jewellery designer Robin Blau (who worked in metal). The new Parramatta Cathedral was dedicated on 29 November 2003.
The Norman and Beard late-Victorian English romantic pipe organ, built in 1898, was installed in 2006. This 19th-century organ was transferred from St Saviour’s Anglican Church in Knightsbridge, London. Stephen Bicknell designed a new organ case in collaboration with Romaldo Giurgola, and the instrument was restored and installed in Parramatta Cathedral by Peter Jewkes and Associates. The organ specifications were further enhanced in 2014 with the addition of several digital ranks of pedal pipes, including 32' Contra-Bourdon, 32' Contra-ophecleide, 16' Major bass; and additional switching devices for the transfer of swell reeds to pedal.
The building design and construction team were awarded the 2003 Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Buildings by the Australian Institute of Architects.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Patrick%27s_Cathedral,_Parramatta
