St. Andrew's Cathedral had its beginnings in the early 1900's when the 2nd Bishop of Caledonia, Frederick Herbert Du Vernet (elevated in 1915 to the position of Archbishop governing the Province of BC & Yukon), moved his household and offices from Metlakatla to Prince Rupert. There is pictorial evidence of a St. Andrew's church in Prince Rupert in 1908. Design drawings for the current church were prepared in 1911 and the work of erecting the church proceeded in two stages: The lower section, which is now our parish hall, was built in 1912. It was the parish church until the upper section of the church was finished in 1925.
Four year later, 1929, the church was raised to the status of Cathedral, signifying that by that time Prince Rupert was the See city of the vast diocese of Caledonia. Today our parish is referred to as the Cathedral Church, as it is the place where the bishop's throne is located.
The Parish was dedicated to St. Andrew, apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ and patron saint of mission and fishermen. It is appropriate that St. Andrew is the patron of a church in a fishing community.
Within the Cathedral lies St. Peter's Chapel, placed when the church of the same name in nearby Seal Cove was closed in 1964. St. Peter is the brother of the Cathedral's paton. The distinctive pedestal altar and pews were handmade by a Cathedral parishioner, the late David Ridsdale, specifically for the Chapel.
The bell tower and the main entrance were added in 1997, to complete the original design of the architects. Beneath the Parish Hall level of our building, the Synod offices of the Diocese of Caledonia may be found. This space was carved out of the rocky foundation of the building in the late 1990's. From here the work of the Diocese - spreading from Haida Gwaii in the west to the Alberta border in the east, and from the Yukon Territorial border in the north to just shy of Vancouver Island's northern tip - is undertaken.
Four year later, 1929, the church was raised to the status of Cathedral, signifying that by that time Prince Rupert was the See city of the vast diocese of Caledonia. Today our parish is referred to as the Cathedral Church, as it is the place where the bishop's throne is located.
The Parish was dedicated to St. Andrew, apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ and patron saint of mission and fishermen. It is appropriate that St. Andrew is the patron of a church in a fishing community.
Within the Cathedral lies St. Peter's Chapel, placed when the church of the same name in nearby Seal Cove was closed in 1964. St. Peter is the brother of the Cathedral's paton. The distinctive pedestal altar and pews were handmade by a Cathedral parishioner, the late David Ridsdale, specifically for the Chapel.
The bell tower and the main entrance were added in 1997, to complete the original design of the architects. Beneath the Parish Hall level of our building, the Synod offices of the Diocese of Caledonia may be found. This space was carved out of the rocky foundation of the building in the late 1990's. From here the work of the Diocese - spreading from Haida Gwaii in the west to the Alberta border in the east, and from the Yukon Territorial border in the north to just shy of Vancouver Island's northern tip - is undertaken.