Priests’ generosity inspires big donor for New Zealand project

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the retired archbishop of New York, has offered international support for the construction of the new Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in the Diocese of Christchurch, New Zealand.

The diocese revealed designs for the new cathedral in July 2026. This will be the first cathedral built from the ground up in New Zealand in over a century. The project replaces the original 1905 cathedral, which required demolition after suffering irreparable damage during the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes.

Dolan stated that the project requires the involvement of the entire community to succeed.