St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta

St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Parramatta and the seat of the Catholic Bishop of Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia.HistoryWith origins of the first mass occurring on the present day site of the Cathedral going back to 1803, St Patrick's was extensively re-built after a 1996 fire devastated the original church, established in 1854. A tower was built on the original St Patrick's Church, that was consecrated in 1880 and blessed in 1883. A cast broze bell was installed in the tower in 1904. As the needs of the parish grew, a new church was built on the site in 1936, incorporating the existing tower and spire (pictured above). When the Diocese of Parramatta was established in 1986, St Patrick's Church was designated as St Patrick's Cathedral.Building design and worksUnder the incumbency of Bishop Kevin Manning and the then Dean, the Very Reverend Peter Williams, the current building was designed by Romaldo Giurgola and the firm MGT Architects. Giurgola was commissioned in 1997 for the restoration and design of the new Cathedral complex after fire destroyed the previous building. Romaldo Giurgola was previously the architect of the new Australian Parliament House in Canberra.A programme of major art works, craft and special design for the Cathedral was also undertaken at the same time so that the art, architecture and furnishings of the new Cathedral would be in harmony. The commissioned artists included Sydney sculptor Anne Ferguson (who worked in stone), Tasmanian designer Kevin Perkins (who worked in timber), and Sydney sculptor and jewellery designer Robin Blau (who worked in metal). The new Parramatta Cathedral was dedicated on 29 November 2003.