Suffragan diocese Christchurch, New Zealand
Diocese of Christchurch
Christopolitan(us)
Latin Church
Latin rite diocese covering much of the South Island of New Zealand, seated in Christchurch. Erected on 10 May 1887, it is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Wellington. The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament was demolished after the 2011 earthquakes; St Mary's Pro-Cathedral serves as the provisional cathedral.
On the map
Every see on one map: browse the dioceses. Churches with recorded hours: find Mass times.
- Established
- 1887
- Catholics
- 68,750
- Priests
- 61
- Territory
- 32,000 km²
Parishes and churches
17 listed churches in our records. Open a parish for Mass times, confession, directions and sources where recorded.
- Akaroa ParishAkaroaView parish
- Catholic Cathedral ParishChristchurchView parish
- Christ the Redeemer ParishChristchurchMass times recorded
- Greymouth ParishGreymouthView parish
- Hokitika ParishHokitikaView parish
- Holy Family ParishChristchurchMass times recorded
- Hurunui ParishAmberleyMass times recorded
- Mackenzie ParishFairlieView parish
- Mid Canterbury ParishAshburtonView parish
- Opihi ParishTemukaView parish
- Our Lady of the Plains ParishLincolnMass times recorded
- Our Lady Queen of Peace ParishChristchurchMass times recorded
- South Westland ParishWhataroaView parish
- Stella Maris ParishChristchurchView parish
- Timaru ParishTimaruView parish
- Waimakariri ParishRangioraMass times recorded
- Waimate ParishWaimateView parish
This is our recorded coverage, not an official diocesan parish count. Confirm service times with the parish before travelling.
The bishop
- Bishop
- Michael Gielen
- Born
- 2 June 1971
- Birthplace
- Cambridge
Explore the ministry of the bishop.
The cathedral
St Mary's Pro-Cathedral stands in Christchurch, the church that holds the cathedra from which this see takes its name.
On what a cathedral is, see the cathedral; every see church on earth is gathered at the cathedrals.
History
Christchurch, the largest city in New Zealand's South Island, holds the cathedral and see of the Diocese of Christchurch (Dioecesis Christopolitana), a Latin Catholic suffragan of the Archdiocese of Wellington. The diocese came into being on 5 May 1887, formed from part of the territory of the Diocese of Wellington, which was itself raised to an archdiocese later that same month.
This see in the wire
Stories that name this see
The wire's resolver matched this see in the text of each story.
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New Zealand first new Catholic cathedral in 120 years unveiled in Christchurch
The Diocese of Christchurch has unveiled the design for a new Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament and launched an 80 million New Zealand dollar fundraising campaign. Bishop Michael Gielen announced the project in a pastoral letter read at Masses across the diocese on July 26. The 800 seat cathedral will be built on Barbadoes Street in central Christchurch. This location was the site of the original 1905 cathedral, which was demolished in 2020 after sustaining irreparable damage during the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes. The new building will retain its historic name and also use the Māori name Te Hāhi Matua o te Hākarameta Tapu Rawa. Developed over two years with architects Warren and Mahoney, the design includes a perpetual adoration chapel and the Te Rangimarie community center, which can hold 300 people. This project marks the first new Catholic cathedral built in New Zealand in more than 120 years.
- New Catholic cathedral unveiled
Filed by our own wire from published sources. Read the wire.