The Cathedral

The stones of St Stephen's Cathedral are silent witnesses to the joy and hope, the grief and anguish of generations of Catholic families.

In the quiet corners of this cathedral, those who shed tears of regret have found peace, those who sighed with weariness have gone out with new strength, those who were lost have discovered a way. Under the arches of this building, candles of hope and trust have flickered through the years. Here, those in love have pledged to be true to one another all the days of their lives. Here, they have brought their children to be baptised and confirmed as followers of Christ. Here, they have said their last farewell to those whose death they mourn. Here, on countless occasions, the local Church has gathered around the bishop to celebrate its unity in the Eucharist.

The cathedral takes its name from the ‘cathedra’ or bishop's seat, symbol of the chief pastor and teacher of the local Church. In the cathedral, parish communities find a sign of their fellowship with each other and the expression of their unity with the Church throughout the world. The cathedral is therefore not only an important place for those who use it regularly, but for the whole city of Brisbane as it provides a sanctuary and an oasis of green that invites people to rest awhile.

History of The Cathedral

Building a cathedral often takes centuries. In addition, the great cathedrals of the world rarely follow a single style. They bear the marks of every century as people added, embellished or replaced part of the cathedral in their own style. The changes of style themselves are witness to a living tradition of faith in that place.

Bishop Quinn, the first bishop of the diocese, laid the foundation stone of the cathedral on the feast of St Stephen, 26 December 1863. A larger and more ornate church was envisaged than the present one but the economic depression of the mid-1860s resulted in only part of the original foundations being laid. Using the existing foundations, work was re-commenced early in 1870. On Sunday, 17 May 1874, the still-incomplete cathedral was solemnly blessed and dedicated. It covered about a third of the area of the one first planned.

During the time of Archbishop Robert Dunne the top of the gable and the spires were added to the Elizabeth Street facade in 1884. Next the cathedral was enriched with stained glass and marble.

On 3 October 1920, Archbishop James Duhig laid the foundation stone of new transepts. He had already announced plans to build a massive Renaissance cathedral in Ann Street, Fortitude Valley. The foundation stones of a cathedral dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus were laid in a splendid ceremony on Sunday, 16 September, 1928 before a crowd of 35,000 people. These foundation stones are now located at the join between the 1921-22 extension and that of 1988-89.

Under Archbishop Patrick O’Donnell, temporary solutions were found to the difficulties of celebrating a rapidly changing liturgy in a traditional liturgical space.

Archbishop Francis Rush undertook the complete restoration, renovation and extension of the Cathedral during the 1980s, culminating in its dedication on 4 December 1989.

Archbishop John Bathersby blessed the Jubilee Pipe Organ on 29 October 2000. He also authorised the restoration of St Stephen’s Chapel in which a diocesan shrine to Mary Mackillop was established.