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National Cathedral of New England
The National Cathedral of New England (properly known as The National Cathedral of St. Edward the Confessor) is the national house of prayer and faith for the people of New England. It is the diocesan seat of the Anglican Diocese of Armidale, and is also the lead church of the Unitarian Church of New England, and is also used by the United Methodist and Presbyterian Church of New England, whose churches were destroyed by the Civil War.
The cathedral is the mother church of the Anglican, United Methodist and Presbyterian and the Unitarian churches in New England. The leaders of the three churches jointly run the church through the National Cathedral Council.
Location
The cathedral is located on the site of the old St. Paul's Presbyterian Church in Faulkner Street, Armidale across from Central Park. It was built after the largest churches in New England agreed to build a single house of prayer rather than replace the three churches that had been destroyed during the fighting. Bricks from the old churches were used to create a new church which was built to balance the large Catholic cathedral of St Joseph and St Mary across Central Park.
Design and Appearance
The church is closely modeled after the designs of churches abroad. Indeed much of the external appearance of the cathedral is taken directly from design of the cathedral in Southwark. There is also a clear influence from the structure of Salisbury Cathedral
and much of the interior design and specifications have been inspired from the design of this building. The cathedral was built with bricks and materials recycled from the remains of the two destroyed churches that had occupied the site, as well as from the remains of the Cathedral of St Peter across the road.
The total length of interior of the cathedral is 140 metres. The width of nave and aisles excluding transepts is 25 metres and the width of the north-south main transepts is 60 metres. The height of nave is 25.5 metres and the length of nave is 70 metres.
The tower is 40 metres high and supported by four 6ft square piers, and is further strengthened by flying buttresses. The cathedral has a seating capacity of 1900 people.
There are five chapels located within the cathedral. The largest is a general chapel known as King's Chapel, and it is often used in formal state occasions such as on coronation day. Two chapels are Anglican, one is Unitarian, and the last is a United M&P chapel. In clockwise order, the chapels are:
Chapel of Our Lady - The Lady Chapel is located on the northern side of the cathedral. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the chapel was opened when the first stage of the cathedral was opened in the 2010s. The Lady Chapel is considered to be one of the most beautiful Anglican places of worship in New England, with many carvings of the life of Mary in wood and stone.
Chapel of Servetus the Martyr - Also located to the north of the cathedral, the chapel of Servetus is the sole Unitarian chapel at the National Cathedral. Dedicated to the life and martyrdom of Michael Servetus an early anti-trinitarian, the chapel is used by many New Englanders as a place of reflection and consideration for the great progress of man in spite of our failings.
King's Chapel - The largest chapel in the cathedral, King's is a place of contemplation of the duty of New Englanders to God, King and Country. The chapel considered to be especially important place for the royal household. It is here that the first part of the coronation service takes place before moving on to the Great Hall of Parliament. The chapel is all-denominational, and is in effect a 'state chapel' with many military guidons and other state relics being laid up at end of their service.
Management
The cathedral is run as a crown statutory agency, with a board of governors overseeing the management of the church. The Chairman of the board is rotated on an annual basis between the heads of the three churches. The board is responsible for the appointment of a director-general and a financier-general. The current board consists of:
- The Most Rev. Timothy Charles (Chairman & Anglican Delegate)
- Sir Thomas Santos (Director-General)
- Jane Beckett (Financier-General)
- The Rt. Rev. Michael Thomas (Unitarian Delegate)
- Geoffrey Austin-Jones (United M&P Church Delegate)
- Peter Gwynne (Greater Armidale County Council Delegate)
- Samantha Macdonald
- Daniel Pickett
