The Friends of St Mary’s Cathedral is a diverse group of people devoted to the cradle of Australian Catholicism, St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney.
The Friends works to preserve and maintain the Cathedral’s fabric, while building a community of parishioners and many others who appreciate the value of the monumental heart of the Catholic Church in Sydney. We achieve this by organising community events, raising funds, and carrying out other projects.
The tintinnabulum and umbraculum, proper insignia of the Cathedral’s status as a Minor Basilica.
The restoration of a set of ornate vestments for use in the Cathedral.
Furniture and fittings for the sanctuary and the crypt.
A new portable chamber organ for use in the Chapel of the Irish Saints for the Divine Office and at concerts.
Saints’ statues on the High Altar and in the Lady Chapel.
The commissioning of the tenor bell from one of the Cathedral’s earlier peals of bells as the Angelus Bell, hung in the south-eastern tower with an electric striker.
The restoration of stained glass around the Cathedral.
Improvements to access to Cathedral House and the Cathedral.
The present Cathedral is in fact the second on this site. The first Cathedral (begun in 1821) was destroyed by fire in 1865.
The spires on the two southern towers, part of the architect William Wardell’s original design, were finally constructed in 2000.
The current Cathedral was begun in 1868; on 8th September 1882, Archbishop Vaughan dedicated the new church to Our Lady Help of Christians.
The nave was extended to the length we know today during the period 1913–28.
With an internal length of 107 metres, St Mary’s Cathedral is the longest church in Australia. Mass is celebrated in the Cathedral more than 1100 times a year. The world-famous Cathedral Choir sings at more than 600 services a year in the Cathedral.
