Bishop Michael Gielen said by building on the same site, the diocese was continuing 160 years of Catholic worship there.
There was no timeline for construction, but Gielen said he understood the congregation’s wish for urgency.
“This will be the first new Catholic cathedral built from scratch in New Zealand for more than 120 years, so it will be a complex undertaking,” he said.
“As people in Christchurch know, it takes several years to erect high-quality buildings. Our new cathedral will take time, but the wait will be worth it.”
Gielen would initiate a process to select a name for the new cathedral in the next few weeks.
Diocesan general manager Simon Thompson said three possible locations were considered for the new cathedral - Barbadoes Street, Armagh Street, or expanding St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral on Manchester Street.
Almost 85 per cent of 1604 respondents to a community survey about the proposal supported the Barbadoes Street option.
The Cathedral of Blessed Sacrament in Christchurch following the 2011 earthquakes. Photo / Simon Baker
Gielen said that site also made the most financial sense.
“Our analysis said that the Barbadoes Street site would be the most economical option for our cathedral.
