Reopening of St. Paul’s

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 954, 23 April 1930, Page 10

Reopening of St. Paul’s

CEREMONY ON JUNE 25

JUNE 2o will mark one of the most brilliant religious ceremonials in London's history—a thanksgiving service for the successful culmination of the stupendous task of restoring St. Paul’s Cathedral, a work which has been proceeding for 17 years. The reopening of St. Paul’s will take place 255 years, all but four days, after the laying of the foundation stone.

The event lias a particular significance to many New Zealanders who, with memories of one of the most notable architectural landmarks of London, contributed substantially, in common with other parts of the Empire, toward the cost of preserving the cathedral for the nation. More gratifying still, the Cathedral authorities will be faced with no debt by this immense undertaking, which has cost £450,000. The public has subscribed magnificently to the cause; in fact, more than required, as much as £6,000 being collected in boxes placed in the Cathedral. NEW BEAUTIES

New vistas of St. Paul’s will be revealed to Londoners on June 25. The beauty of mosaics under the great dome, hitherto hidden in obscuring gloom, will stand out in bold relief under flood lighting. Their delicate and exquisite colouring will amaze those who have thought St. Paul’s somewhat austere, and the hidden lighting at the east end of the chancel will give the Cathedral a suggestion of sunshine which will make it a radiant house of prayer. The organ, which has been rebuilt and electrified, is sweeter and richer in tone than ever before. The scaffoldings and partitions that have encrusted St. Paul’s for many years at last will be cleared away for the thanksgiving service, which will be a hymn of praise to the great work. The King is to attend the service, and will probably be accompanied by every member of the Royal Family in London at the time. The congregation will include the City of London Corporation, members of the Order of St. Michael and St. George, peers and commoners, representatives of religious and learned bodies, and bishops from all parts of the world, assembled at the Lambeth Conference. All official visitors will be robed, and in uniform, so that the ceremony should be one of the most brilliant ever seen' in St. Paul’s. The Archbishop of Canterbury will preach the sermon.

The restoration of Sir Christopher Wren’s architectural masterpiece to

a condition of safety for many years to come has been a gigantic task, fraught with the greatest difficulties, both architectural and engineering; but the experts are now satisfied the cathedral is so sound it is unlikely to cause anxiety for many centuries. THIRD CATHEDRAL St. Paul's as it stands today, is 220 years old, and is the third cathedral to occupy the historic site. The first was a Saxon church, which was destroyed by fire in 1086, and this was followed by. the Norman building which was swept in the Great Fire of London in 1666. Then came the present St. Paul’s, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, which as a product of the late Renaissance in England, today stands unique in Great Britain as the only non-Gothic building of its class. The original plan was modified, and the foundation stone was laid on June 21, 1675. The famous architect lived to see his masterpiece finished in 1710, though his master mason, Thomas Strong, died during the course of construction, and his place was filled by his brother, Edward Strong. The building cost just under £745,000.

Grave anxiety for the safety of the fabric was felt 70 years later, because of the nature of the subsoil. Repairs in 1781 left something still to be desired, and in 1914 an extensive sheme of restoration was started. Five years alone were spent in reconstructing the south-western pier, in. which 3,000 cubic feet of masonry were inserted.

In later years the great dome has been the centre of reconstruction operations, fears being entertained that its great weight would cause collapse. The dome has two folds, the inner shell being 108 feet in diameter and the outer 148 feet. Down in the crypt of St. Paul’s lie the mortal remains and tombs of many of Britain’s famous naval and military heroes, great churchmen, and notable scholars, engineers and scientists. Their shades will join in thanksgiving that their last restingplace has been preserved for the nation.