41. WISE MEN WINDOW

We complete our tour of the Cathedral by examining some of the South windows. This window shows the Visit of the Wise Men. We read in Matthew 2 :10–11 :  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.    PLAN

42. KINGDOM WINDOW

Two windows along we find Jesus proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven by the Sea of Galilee. We find this in Mark 1:15 : ‘The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’

43. LAST SUPPER WINDOW

The Last Supper Window. The scene here is where Jesus institutes the New Covenant. We can read about this in Luke 22:19–20 : And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”

44. MEMORIAL STONE

St Patrick’s Church was first declared a parish in 1862. At this time the church was in Wittenoom Street. For the present site we need to move on to 1920 ... This is the earliest of three plaques found in the Narthex. It is written in Latin, but its message is: (First) Foundation Stone laid by Mgr Verling V.G., 14th November 1920. (First) Dedication by His Grace The Archbishop of Perth, Most Rev P. J. Clune C. SS. R., 27th November 1921, while Ven Archdeacon Smyth was Parish Priest.

45. CATHEDRAL 1921

So the first St Patrick’s Church was built on the present site – an impressive and imposing structure, but without a spire. Some of the older parishioners still recall how local limestone rocks were carried up from the beach on bullock trains, and how as children, they carried bricks, two at a time, for the exterior work. In 1954 St Patrick’s became a Cathedral when Pope Pius XII established the Diocese of Bunbury, with Launcelot John Goody as the 1st Bishop. In 1956, modifications to the building were completed, adapting it to its new role as Cathedral and Mother Church of the Diocese. [Photo Credit : Cathedral Archives]   

46. ORIGINAL FOUNDATION STONE

In the mid 1960s enlargements and renovations were undertaken. A second plaque in the narthex gives a convenient translation of the Latin inscription on the earlier plaque(!), and notes the rededication by the Bishop of Bunbury, Most Rev. L. J. Goody. The letters A.M.D.G. are short for Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam, or ‘For the Greater Glory of God’.

47. 1921 CONSTRUCTION

The new renovations included the addition of a spire. Unusually, the spire was largely constructed in brick on a reinforced concrete base. [Photo Credit : Cathedral Archives]

48. CATHEDRAL 1921

For nearly 40 years the new look St Patrick’s Cathedral looked out over the city of Bunbury from its prominent position on the hill, overseeing its large Southern Diocese, and ministering to its local congregation. New Bishops serving over this period were Myles McKeon (1969 – 1982), Peter Quinn (1982 – 2000), and Gerard Joseph Holohan (2001 – ). Then in 2005, a fierce tornado with winds of more than 125 kilometres an hour swept through Bunbury. The path of the storm was relatively narrow, and although the Cathedral was not mentioned in early reports, the exposed building was irretrievably damaged by the winds and shifted off its foundations. [Photo Credit : Cathedral Archives]

49. CATHEDRAL DEMOLISHED

Engineers declared the building structurally unsound and unsafe. It must have been a sad day for the congregation of St Patrick’s to see their beloved Cathedral demolished and reduced to a pile of rubble. Locals watched in disbelief as it was brought down just weeks after the tornado. More than 100 pews, statues, paintings, vestments and sacred vessels were also recovered along with about 20 stained-glass windows removed by the demolition team. [Photo Credit : Cathedral Archives]

50. DEDICATION STONE

The years 2005 – 2011 were years of planning and construction of the new Cathedral. Building the new Cathedral presented some unique challenges to architect Marcus Collins. ‘People wanted the outside to look like a traditional church, like the one that was destroyed in the tornado. But they wanted the inside to be modern. And modern architecture really states that the outside should be dictated by the function of the inside. So that was a difficult task.’ The new Cathedral was dedicated on 17th March 2011 by Bishop Gerard Holohan, 4th Bishop of Bunbury.