CENTINUATION
CHURCHES 25.
CONSECRATION OF CATHEDRAL
168
Now that St. John's Cathedral looks spic and span in its new coating of plaster, we might recall that it had become greyed by age through eighty-six years of existence: the weathering of the outer surface of the edifice had, in fact, so damaged portions of the brickwork as to make the restoration work imperative. In looking up some old references to the Cathedral, an interesting account of its consecration was discovered, and this might be given fairly fully.
A brief outline of the Cathedral history has already been given (see 2-9-33, for example). Completed in 1849, it was almost immediately (March 11 that year) opened for public worship. The foundation stone had been laid on the same date just two years previously. However, the consecration, strange as it may seem to us to-day, did not take place until more than three years after the official opening: owing to delays of which no details are to hand but which are stated to have been "of a technical nature".
It is evident, from various incidents of the time, that things were not going very smoothly in those early years of the Diocese. However, that is not a matter for present discussion. Let us consider the eventual consecration.
In a formal Notice published on September 16, 1852, it is stated: "The Consecration of St. John's Cathedral is fixed to take place on Sunday morning next. The Trustees of the Church meet the Bishop at the West Door at 11 o'clock; and the ceremony commences immediately afterwards. The Garrison are expected to attend the Morning Service on this occasion."
In due course on the morning of Sunday, September 19, 1852, St. John's Cathedral was consecrated by the first Bishop of Victoria (Bishop George Smith), "the building having been opened for divine service above three years ago by licence from the Bishop of London, but, through delays of a technical nature, never before having been formally consecrated," as the chronicle puts it.
On this occasion the Garrison were present, in addition to the ordinary morning congregation