The Cathedra

Once a Diocese is created, the Bishop needs a seat. Its proper name is 'cathedra', and the church in which it is found - the cathedral - takes its name from this chair. This is a picture of the original cathedra, installed and first used on 12th February 1928, as the notice book from 29th January that year records: "Sunday Feb 12th, the Sunday within the Octave of Our Lady of Lourdes (11th), the Patroness of the Diocese, there will be the Solemn inauguration of the new Episcopal Throne and Chapter Stalls. There will be Pontifical High Mass and the Chapter will be present. The special preacher will be the eloquent Franciscan preacher Fr. George O.F.M., whom many of you will remember. Subjects: Mon: ‘The Vitality of the Church’. Sun: ‘Our Lady of Lourdes’." The cathedra originally stood in the traditional place - the north side of the sanctuary. After the reforms of the 1960s and 70s it was moved to a central point on the wall of the Apse, before being replaced by the new cathedra in 1995. The original throne can now be seen in the Cathedral's north transept.