ST. JOHN's CATHEDRAL, PORTSMOUTH APPEAL

You may be aware through the pages of "Portsmouth People" of an appeal for our Diocesan Cathedral which was officially launched on December 8th last. You will certainly hear more about it later but this seems to be an opportunity to give a little advance information.

Our Cathedral was designed by the architect Hansom who also gave his name to the 'Hansom cab' a forerunner of the taxi. It was consecrated in 1885 and is a good example of Victorian Gothic architecture especially with its fine wooden vaulted ceiling. It was damaged in 1941 when Bishop's House was destroyed by a direct hit and was in poor internal condition when it was reappointed in the 1970's. Some of this reappointing was perhaps of questionable merit (in particular whoever thought the bases of stone columns should be sunk in concrete surrounded by carpeting needed a severe ticking-off) and was amended in the 1980's.

Currently a lot of work is needed on the building especially with soft stone exposed to salt air; its location on what is now a traffic island obviously does not help. The estimate for outstanding work is £645,000 and even if the applied for grants are obtained some £500,000 must be raised. This is beyond the means of the Cathedral parish situated in a partly depopulated and (with respect) not over-affluent part of Portsmouth. Hence the current appeal.

The Bishop is well aware how generous people have been recently especially with the Priests' Retirement Fund. A Diocesan Raffle is therefore proposed for the period immediately after Easter and we will be invited to take part.

One sometimes hears some ungracious remarks about (a) do we need a Cathedral? and (b) don't the people there lead a life of Reilly? With regard to (b) as a former Cathedral priest I can say that life in Bishop's House if not poverty stricken, was certainly reasonably frugal and we did not spend all the time swilling gin. Indeed I can reveal that we were commended by the Chapter of the Anglican Cathedral no less for economic living! As for (a) apart from the great Diocesan ceremonies a Cathedral represents a focus. It is a 'bricks-and-mortar' symbol of the Diocesan family without which we could seem to be a purely isolated congregation.