21. HOLY OILS

Two wall niches in the narthex contain the Holy Oils of Chrism and Catechumens. [5] These are used for anointing the sick, and those being baptized.    PLAN

22. PAINTINGS

There are two paintings in the narthex. One shows Mother Cecilia Maher, leader of the first group of Religious Sisters to come to Aotearoa in 1850. The other is of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Australasia’s first Saint, Canonised 2010.

23. WINDOW AND TILES

The window showing the baptisms of Christ and the Ethiopian is found in the Reception room at the North end of the narthex. The star tiling leads to the central aisle of the nave.

24. NAVE

It is always a delight for me on entering a cathedral to stand here and enjoy the sacred space of the nave. The central aisle is made of concrete pavers from the original construction in 1884, rediscovered and restored in 2007. [41]

25. WEST WALL AND ORGAN

The Liston Memorial Organ is located in the choir loft. It is a two manual and pedal organ with mechanical action and 21 stops, by George Croft & Sons, Auckland 1978. [6]

26. NAVE NORTH WALL

We begin our investigation of the nave. In the North wall are three stained glass windows, four stations of the cross, and a display area fashioned from an original confessional.

27. DISPLAY AREA

The original confessional was converted to a display area in 1985. At left is an 1884 confessional that was restored in 1985. [8, 9]

28. DISPLAY DETAIL

This display area contains items relating to Bishop Pompallier and the building and history of St Patrick’s Cathedral.

29. STATIONS OF THE CROSS

As a sample of the Stations of the Cross in this Cathedral we show Stations IV to VII (in reverse order, as they appear). The Stations are an aid to Christian devotion, particularly near Easter. These are cast plaster in kauri frames by G. H. Parentani, Bruxelles 1907, refurbished by Michael Pervan, Auckland 2007. [15]

30. PEWS

The pews have individual carvings on the ends. They were installed in 1938 for the centenary of the first Mass held in NZ. [10]

31. NAVE NORTH WINDOWS

These three windows have the themes Goodness and Piety (St Edward and St Margaret), Patience and Knowledge (St William of Bourges and St Thomas Aquinas), and Peace and Counsel (St Joseph and St Philomena). [11, 12, 13]

32. NAVE SOUTH WALL

Looking back at the nave from the sanctuary area, we see that the South wall reflects the North wall in its layout.

33. FOUNDATION STONE

We walk back over the Crossing towards the South wall, passing this foundation stone set into the floor. This is the foundation stone of the 1848 stone Cathedral. [48]

34. NAVE SOUTH WALL

Here is another view of the nave South wall.

35. NAVE SOUTH WINDOWS

These three windows depict Charity and Humility (St Edward the Confessor and St Ann), Obedience and Wisdom ( St Philip and St Catherine of Alexandria), Faith and Hope (St Patrick and St Anastasia). [35, 36, 37]

36. DISPLAY AREA

This old confessional was converted into a secure display area in 2003.     

37. DISPLAY DETAIL

In this Southern display area, various items pertaining to the Virgin Mary are displayed. [39].     

38. CONFESSIONAL WINDOW

This interesting trefoil was originally a confessional window, but is now in the new display cabinet.

39. NORTH TRANSEPT

We now leave the nave and move to the North transept. The crown lights were installed for the 1938 Catholic centenary, and replaced the original gas lamps. [38]

40. POEM

This plaque is on the West wall of the South transept. The delightful inspirational poem ‘Ode to Jesus’ was written by James Baxter in 1972. [14]

TO #41 – >

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