Everything about Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral totally explained
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King (usually shortened to
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral) is a
Roman Catholic cathedral in
Liverpool,
England. It replaced the Pro-Cathedral of
St. Nicholas, Copperas Hill. The cathedral is the seat of the
Archbishop of Liverpool, the mother church of Liverpool's Catholics, and the metropolitan church of the
ecclesiastical Northern Province.
History
Pugin's design
In
1853 Bishop Goss awarded the commission for the building of a new Roman Catholic cathedral to
Edward Welby Pugin (1833-1875), the son of
Augustus Welby Pugin the joint
architect of the
Houses of Parliament and champion of the
Gothic Revival. By
1856 the
Lady Chapel of the new cathedral had been completed in the grounds of St. Edward's College on Saint Domingo Road,
Everton. Due to financial resources being diverted to the education of Catholic children work on the building ceased at this point and the Lady Chapel now named Our Lady Immaculate served as
parish church to the local Catholic population until its demolition in the 1980s!
Lutyens' design
Following purchase of the present 9-acre site at Brownlow Hill in
1930 Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944) was commissioned to provide a design which would be an appropriate response to the
Gilbert Scott-designed
Neo-gothic Anglican cathedral then emerging at the other end of Hope Street. Lutyens' design would have created a massive
classical/
Byzantine structure that would have become the second-largest church in the world. It would have had the world's largest
dome, being 510 feet compared to the 450 feet on
St. Peter's Basilica in
Rome. The
foundation stone for the new building was laid on
5 June 1933, but again financial restrictions caused the abandonment of this plan after construction of the
crypt.
Scott's reduced design
After the ambitious design by Lutyens fell through,
Adrian Gilbert Scott, brother of
Giles Gilbert Scott (architect of the Anglican Cathedral), was commissioned in 1953 to work on a smaller cathedral design with a £4,000,000 budget. He proposed a scaled-down version of Lutyens' building, retaining the massive dome. Scott's plans were criticised and the building didn't go ahead .
Gibberd's design
The new cathedral, designed by Sir
Frederick Gibberd was built on land adjacent to the crypt by
Taylor Woodrow. It was consecrated in
1967. Its circular plan was conceived as a response to the current thinking of the time set out later in the
Second Vatican Council's requirements for a greater participation of the lay faithful in the sacred liturgy.
"Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that fully conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations " Second Vatican Council 1962-1965
Whether or not the intimate integration of congregation and clergy that's effected by this design is the proper fulfilment of that council's call is a topic that enjoys lively debate throughout the Catholic Church today.
The Cathedral today
Chapels are built between the
buttresses that support the tent-shaped
spire (which represents the
Crown of Thorns of
Jesus) like tent poles. A short film,
Crown of Glass, documents the construction of the cathedral's
rainbow-coloured
stained glass windows.
The cathedral stands next to
Liverpool Science Park on the site of the Liverpool Workhouse, on
Hope Street. Facing it at the opposite end of Hope Street is the
Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool, the city's
Anglican cathedral (oddly, Lutyens was an
Anglican, while the architect of the Anglican cathedral,
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, was a Catholic).
Local Information
The church's concrete exterior hasn't worn well and suffers from leaks. A belfry stands to the east of the church. A new stepped approach has recently been built as part of a multi-million pound restoration.
The Cathedral's choir has a reputation as one of the finest in the UK. It has a very large repertoire, from contemporary music to Gregorian Chant.
The Cathedral's crypt hosts the Liverpool CAMRA Beer Festival each February.Further Information
Get more info on 'Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral'.
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