This week Bishop Barry Jones of the diocese of Christchurch New Zealand has published a substantial document God’s Dwelling Place to help parishioners of the diocese to appreciate the importance of Catholic Church architecture in forming our faith.  This document will guide the rebuild of a number of churches destroyed by the 2010-2011 earthquakes and has been prepared as a response to the request of many parishioners for more formation, detail and direction.

It will be most usefully read in conjunction with the bishop’s earlier The House of God document.

This document seeks to communicate the spirit of the liturgy and therefore focuses on factors that need to be taken into account when designing and building, restoring or re-ordering a Catholic church. The practical details offered enable this good formation to be easily and meaningfully implemented in a newly built or re-ordered church.

If you would like a hardcopy mailed to you send me an email at catholichurunui@gmail.com and I will arrange for the number you request to be posted to you free of charge.

You can read the document online at God’s Dwelling Place