The heart
Bishop Peter (left) and Dean Ben (right)
For the newly appointed Dean Ben Truman, the youngest ever in the history of Christ Church Cathedral, the future is bright.
Originally hailing from Greymouth, Dean Ben Truman studied theatre, theology, and teaching, eventually leading him to take up a job in the drama department at Burnside High School. He arrived in the city in January of 2011, not long before the quakes in February.
All through this time, he was heavily involved in the church, and he has continuously felt a calling to ministry; he pursued further studies in Auckland and became the vicar of St Mark’s in Opawa seven years ago.
Dean Ben, now firmly rooted in Christchurch with his wife Johannah and three children under five, takes on the mantel at a crucial time in the cathedral’s history.
Ben reflects on the ongoing reinstatement of the Cathedral, which is set to reopen in 2028. He emphasises the Cathedral’s importance to the people of Ōtautahi.
“The cathedral has been an integral part of the identity of Christchurch from its beginning, and it’s because of the cathedral that we became a city initially. There’s been this permanent kind of relationship between the cathedral and the city. The church decided to go with reinstatement because there was the sense of actually doing this for the city’s healing from quakes.”
Stabilisation, initiated in May 2020, involved enabling works, the construction of many structural steel frames, deconstruction, and clean-up.
As the work now continues on the ‘heart’ of Ōtautahi, the Cathedral has reached another milestone; in March 2023, they welcomed people for the first time into the building following the completion of the stabilisation.
The building is now no longer earthquake-prone, and the project has moved into the strengthening phase.
Re-entering the Cathedral was a poignant experience for those involved, but it did reveal unforeseen damage.
“This led to an extensive investigation, consideration of the further work required, and how it would be best undertaken. Subsequently, a comprehensive review of our design, planned work methods, programme, and costs is underway,” Keith Paterson, Project Director with Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Ltd, says.
“We are so grateful for the funding that has been donated so far; we couldn’t have reached this point without the incredible generosity and support of so many – local people and others across Aotearoa and internationally. There is no question that the reinstatement will continue, despite its huge complexity and that further donations are needed,” Dean Ben says.
Recent research shows that the local passion for the building is strong, with 74 per cent of residents surveyed considering the Cathedral essential to the city’s future and 62 per cent wanting it rebuilt.
With that in mind, this month, Bishop The Right Reverend Dr Peter Carrell will launch the Anglican Campaign, fundraising for the Cathedral Reinstatement Project. He calls on the Anglicans within the diocese to contribute to the reinstatement of the heart of the city.
OUR CATHEDRAL, OUR TIME
For more information about how you can support the reinstatement of Christ Church Cathedral with your gift, please visit christchurchcathedral.org.nz