The Cathedral Church of St John the Baptist is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The cathedral is the seat of the bishop of East Anglia and the mother church of the diocese of East Anglia. It is within the Province of Westminster.
History
The cathedral, located on Unthank Road, was constructed between 1882 and 1910 to designs by George Gilbert Scott, Jr., as a parish church dedicated to John the Baptist, on the site of the Norwich City Gaol. The funds for its construction were provided by the 15th Duke of Norfolk, as a gesture of thanksgiving for his first marriage to Lady Flora Abney-Hastings.Cathedral about page Retrieved 15 January 2013
In 1976, it was consecrated as the cathedral church for the newly erected Diocese of East Anglia and the seat of the Bishop of East Anglia.Cathedral History Retrieved 17 March 2010 In 2014, for the first time since 1558, a Pontifical High Mass was celebrated in this episcopal see's cathedral."Historic: First Pontifical High Mass at the Throne in England since the advent of the new rite". Rorate Caeli. Published: 4 November 2014.
It is one of two cathedrals in the city of Norwich, the other being the Church of England Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, begun in the Norman style in 1096.
Resources
Just off the south aisle of the cathedral is the Duckett Library. It was named after The V. Rev. Richard Canon Duckett, who was rector of the church from 1876 to 1910. It was opened on 22 February 2012.Cathedral Library Background Retrieved 15 January 2013 People need to become a member of the library to join, and that membership is available to all the cathedral's congregation. It has 3,000 religious publications and is staffed by volunteers.Cathedral Library Retrieved 23 July 2024
Also, within the cathedral ground is the Narthex. It opened in March 2010 and is the cathedral's visitor centre. It comprises an Education and Interpretation Gallery, a shop, a refectory with outdoor patio, a function hall, licensed bar and community garden.Cathedral Narthex Retrieved 23 July 2024
Parish The cathedral's parish also covers Holy Apostles Church, West Earlham, a suburb of Norwich.
References
External links St John the Baptist Cathedral homepage History, description and images (Simon Knott, norfolkchurches.co.uk, accessed 29 October 2012) Image of the cathedral (accessed 24 September 2007) Floor plan of the cathedral (accessed 23 August 2017) Narthex opens March, 2010 Roman Catholic Cathedral of St John the Baptist, Norwich (British Listed Buildings) Interior view at Google Maps