| Christ Church Cathedral | |
|---|---|
| Cathedral Church of Christ | |
 Crossing tower and spire from the cloisters | |
  Christ Church Cathedral | |
| 51°45′00″N 1°15′17″W / 51.75°N 1.2547°W | |
| Location | Oxford, Oxfordshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | chch.ox.ac.uk/cathedral |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Cathedral |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Designated | 12 January 1954[1] |
| Style | Romanesque, Gothic |
| Years built | 1160–1200 |
| Administration | |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Diocese | Oxford (since 1546) |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop(s) | Steven Croft (diocesan), Gavin Collins (suffragan), Alan Wilson (suffragan) |
| Dean | Sarah Foot |
| Subdean | Peter Moger |
| Precentor | Philippa White |
| Canon(s) | Sally Welch (Diocesan Canon) 4 theology professors (ex officio) |
| Archdeacon | Jonathan Chaffey |
| Laity | |
| Director of music | Steven Grahl |
Christ Church Cathedral is a cathedral of the Church of England in Oxford, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Oxford and the principal church of the diocese of Oxford. It is also the chapel of Christ Church, a college of the University of Oxford; this dual role is unique in the Church of England.[2] It is administered by the dean of Christ Church, who is also the head of the college, and a governing body.[3]
The first church on the site of the cathedral was a nunnery and parish church which was burnt during the St Brice's Day massacre in 1002; it was re-founded as a priory of Augustinian canons by 1122. The priory was suppressed in 1524 by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, who intended to demolish the church in order to found a new college on the site. The cardinal fell from favour in 1529 and the project was taken over by Henry VIII, who preserved the church. When the diocese of Oxford was created in 1542 its cathedral was the former Osney Abbey, however it was supplanted by Christ Church in 1546.[4][5]
- ^ Historic England. "Cathedral Church (Grade I) (1283787)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
- ^ "Cathedral | Christ Church, Oxford University". Chch.ox.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
- ^ "Governing Body". Christ Church, University of Oxford. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ Page, William, ed. (1907). "Houses of Augustinian canons: The priory of St Frideswide, Oxford". A History of the County of Oxford. Vol. 2. London: Victoria County History. pp. 97–101. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ Pevsner, Nikolaus; Metcalf, Priscilla; et al. (and various hands) (1985). The Cathedrals of England: the South East. London: The Folio Society (published 2005). pp. 239–255.