| St. Joseph's Cathedral | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Location | Avarua |
| Country |  Cook Islands New Zealand |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop(s) | Paul Donoghue |
St. Joseph's Cathedral[1] is the cathedral of the Bishop of Rarotonga and is located in Avarua[2] in the north of the island of Rarotonga the largest and most populated island of the Cook Islands a self-governing island country in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand
The cathedral is the mother church of the Catholic Diocese of Rarotonga (Dioecesis Rarotongana) which has jurisdiction over the Cook Islands and Niue and which was created as an apostolic prefecture in 1922 being elevated to its present status in 1966 by The bull "Prophetarum voces" of Pope Paul VI.
It is under the pastoral responsibility of Bishop Paul Donoghue.[3] Inside, there are stained glass windows depicting scenes and people from the Bible.
For some years negotiations took place between the Church and the landowners (with the involvement of the government of the Cook Islands government) for the continued occupation of the cathedral site which was subject to a lease. An agreement was finally concluded in 2018 which resulted in the "warranting of the land". The agreement also benefited nearby Nukutere College.[4]
- ^ St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Avarua
- ^ "The Catholic Church in the Cook Islands". www.maristmessenger.co.nz. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
- ^ Cheney, David M. "Rarotonga (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
- ^ Malina Etches, "Nukutere college rebuilds after the ashes", Cook Island News, 28 March 28, 2019 (Retrieved 3 May 2020)