Monday, June 7, 2010

Grafton Anglican Cathedral

Amongst other methods of wasting time, I decided to visit cathedrals while driving through Victoria and New South Wales: if a city has a Catholic one, I'll go there of course, but if – as in Wangaratta or Grafton there is only an Anglican one, I'll go see what those folks have.  


Crossing the mighty Clarence River, I drove into Grafton on Friday afternoon, and took these snaps in "Christ Church Cathedral", which appears to be reasonably high, but not so much as at Wangaratta.  To my signal displeasure, I noted that the local Anglican newspaper was crowing about their bishop ordaining the first Aboriginal woman to be a deacon.


On the columns flanking the nave are modernistic paintings of the Stations of the Cross, something I've not previously seen in Anglican churches.


The chancel: note the reversion to a Cranmer table, after the initial building of an altar in imitation of Catholic practice.


This notice (apologies for the bad reproduction, but it was very dark inside) I found concealed on a small bookcase for hymnals as one passes from the choir into the side chapel, where there was an aumbry flanked by a light, presumably for reservation.  This notice appears to teach the doctrine of the real presence, of adoration of Christ in the reserved sacrament, and of prayer for the dead.  Next to it were cards giving the texts for the Angelus and Regina cæli.


This attractive image of Christ the Priest (note maniple) reigning from the Cross was above the pulpit.


I found Our Lady making an appearance... and also St Cecilia, in naive style, playing on the organ:

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