The Blessed Sacrament Chapel

The Blessed Sacrament Chapel
Formerly Nun's Chancel

Looking through the archways to the right of the sanctuary, we see into the temporary side chapel used by the Dominican Sisters coming into the Cathedral from St Dominic's Priory.

The building of the Chapel was listed by Mr Petre as Contract No. 17. The construction work was done by Mr D. W. Woods, and Park and McNamara were the masonry contractors.

The wall panelling, the rafters, the ceiling beams and the small brackets are in Kauri timber, and the original church pews in Baltic pine.

At the time of construction in early 1886, Mr Petre designed two cast iron grills, each section having seven panels. The grills, made by Barningham and Co., were eight feet high and seven feet nine inches in width, and were placed in the archways as an enclosure for the Sisters.

After the Alternation

The view of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel at the right transept of the Cathedral from the Sanctuary.

Another view of the sanctuary beside the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

The access way to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel from the right aisle.

The Eucharistic Shrine in the chapel.

When the sanctuary was remodelled in 1969 by Mr E. J. McCoy, a Dunedin architect, a Eucharistic Shrine outside the Sanctuary was designed for private devotion and the reservation of the Eucharist. The side altar was altered so as to become the central point of the shrine. This shrine used to be at the right aisle of the Cathedral with the wall behind the shrine, which had been demolished to make a new way for access to the new Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

The 1896 Memorial Altar of Bishop Moran shown in more detail before it was altered to become the Eucharistic Shrine. It was designed by Mr Petre and the stone carvings are the work of L. M. M. Godfrey.