Wednesday 5 December 2018

Wandering in St Johns

The Anglican Cathedral of St John the Baptist stands at 16 Church Hill in the city of St Johns, Newfoundland. There's a small entrance on Gower Street between Church Hill and Cathedral Street. That's the entrance I used when I went in to look at the inside.

The Cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador.
This is the main entrance on Church Hill. And this is where you would go to meet up with the St Johns Haunted Hike.
 As you can see, Cathedral Street is pretty steep.
This parish was founded in 1699. At least six wooden churches have stood on this site, destroyed by accidental fire, military operations or the rigorous Newfoundland weather. And before the churches, the land was used for public hangings up to the 1750s. The first stone church was begun in 1843, but only got as far as the cornerstone being laid. The present Cathedral was begun in 1847. The Nave was built 1847-1850, and served as the whole cathedral for the next 35 years, when the Chancel, Transepts and Sanctuary were added 1880-1885.
The Great Fire of 1892 caused extensive damage to the Cathedral and destroyed most of the town, leaving 11,000 people homeless. The roof timbers ignited causing the roof to collapse, and bringing the walls down with it. The heat melted the lead in all the stained glass windows except one, which can be seen in the Sacristy. The Cathedral was restored 1893-1905.
Looking towards the Cathedral from the back of the Masonic Hall, the red brick building on the right. These photos were taken in July sunshine. I think there would be some snowflakes flying today!

17 comments:

  1. Lots of history attached. Perhaps it is as well that the stones cannot talk.

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    1. There's loads of history everywhere you look in St Johns, one of the oldest settlements in North America.

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  2. Were you serious about the St John's Haunted walk Shammi, after hearing the history of the cathedral I should imagine there would definitely be some lost souls 'hanging' about ☺ The restoration is wonderful though, all those gorgeous arches, beautifully show here ✨

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    1. The Haunted Walk is lots of fun, and quite scary.

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  3. I was only ever in that cathedral once. Beautiful!

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  4. Trying to catch up, a bit, with my blog friends. I've been very neglectful and I apologize. That having been said, this is wonderful. I always love seeing beautiful places of worship and this one is quite lovely. Thanks for sharing it with me!

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    1. I was wondering where you had got to, Jim. Glad you're still around. Yes, this is a lovely old church, quiet and peaceful inside.

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  5. What a beautiful church, telling the long history.
    Happy weekend to you and your family.

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  6. Good to hear from you, Tomoko, have a happy weekend.

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  7. I really love the old churches, their architecture and stories that surround them. Lovely photos especially the one in shadows looking though the windows.
    I agree with your comment on my blog about making every day count.

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  8. St John's Haunted walk? Must be creepy, but fun, I'll bet! Lots of history here, Shammie. I'd love to visit one day.

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  9. How beautiful! I’m so attracted by its architectural details. I imagined the scenery of snow falling on the church which must be evocative.

    Thank you for your comment. How old is Max? His teeth must have fell off naturally. The boy Y is 5 and a half years old. His two front teeth fell off by accident when he was less than 3. When he stumbled on the stone step, the teeth fell off completely . We were so shocked back then, but now his face with missing teeth is so endearing to us.

    Yoko

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  10. A wonderful looking church with lots of history. It is pretty impressive to see through your photos.
    Have a wonderful rest of the weekend.

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  11. What a magnificient edifice.

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  12. A gorgeous structure. I remember reading some novels about early cathedrals and how they were susceptible to fire. Scary. That must have been a terrifying experience for al concerned back in 1892! I'd love to see more of this building...

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