One of the most beautiful places in Dunedin is the St. Paul’s Cathedral. I knew that I had to visit it just to see all the stained glass windows. The architecture was also really interesting.
Right in front of the cathedral was a sign for St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral (it’s an Anglican Church just like the Christchurch Cathedral and Church of the Good Shepherd).
It showed the way to the level access and the offices and crypt. It was open from 10am to 3pm.
Inside St. Paul’s Cathedral Dunedin: Almost Everything is a Work of Art
I first stood at the bottom of the steps and admired the cathedral. There were many steps leading up to the front entrance. There were two towers and a cross at the top. I could see the big glass windows from the outside.
It was a sunny and clear day. The sky was very blue. I started walking up the steps. I was very excited to see the inside of the cathedral. I had heard that it was really magnificent.
As soon as I went inside, I was surprised at how big the space was. There were wooden pews on either side of the aisle. The altar was at the back. There were a few tourists and visitors already roaming around the cathedral.
I knew that the cathedral was over one hundred years old. And the stained glass windows were still so bright and pretty. I walked around and looked at all the paintings. They were about the life of Jesus Christ. There were pictures of Mother Mary and all his disciples.
The stained glass paintings at the front of the cathedral had a lot of flower designs. Even the stone had been carved to look like flowers. There were different shades of blue, red, yellow and green which were all visible.
I liked how detailed the paintings were. I could clearly see their clothes and goblets. I could see tables, mountains and rocks.
One big painting showed Christ surrounded by a number of men. There were so many details that each man looked unique and different. I could see flowers, stalks of wheat, trees and rivers in the background.
The wooden pews were also arranged so neatly! Visitors could sit down in silence and just admire the cathedral for a few minutes if they wanted to. I decided to sit down for a little while.
Some of the paintings were so high up that I couldn’t even see the details. I could just see the colors of the glass.
There was a golden colored plaque under the window. It said, “This window was erected to the Glory of God and in thankful and loving remembrance of those of Otago and Southland who gave their lives in The Great War 1914 – 1918.” So I knew that it had been made for the soldiers who died in the First World War.
There was also a huge organ in one corner of the cathedral. Below that were a pulpit and a place where the choir could stand. I had read that the organ was also more than a hundred years old. Music was very important in St. Paul’s Cathedral and many of the choir members had professional music careers.
Lamps were hanging in front of all the stained glass windows so that guests could study the images carefully. There were different plaques on the walls dedicated to different people. They had been put there for members of the church who had passed away by their friends and family.
On one side, there were four stained glass paintings of four saints, Saint Mathew, Saint Mark, Saint Luke and Saint John. They were all holding books in their hands. These were the books of the New Testament.
I also saw a series of stained glass windows about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The artists had drawn an angel with golden wings on one of the stained glass panels. I was fascinated by the artwork.
The windows alone were worth a visit to the cathedral.
Some of them even had captions and quotes from the Bible.
There was a stone sculpture in one corner, surrounded by benches.
I found a donation basket at the back where visitors could contribute. Beside that was a basket of goodies that were local to Dunedin.
Some pottery, clay plates and pots had been displayed on one side. They were in shades of red and white. I decided to take a picture from up close.
Even the pillars inside the church were grand and majestic.
There was a wonderful raised pulpit at the front. It was made fully of stone and stone steps led up to it. It had beautiful carvings. The clergyman could speak to everyone from the pulpit.
I then went outside. I wanted to take some more pictures of the cathedral from the outside. The architecture was really impressive!
The main entrance had a lamp hanging over it. The doors were made of heavy wood.
