Finding the Sacred in the Spaces We Build

This Sunday the Readings recognise the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. What does this mean to us here in New Zealand in 2025?

I am an Architect and my workday revolves around buildings and their impact on communities. But I didn’t know what this feast day meant. My training at university and my years of experience had taught me that the buildings we live and work in do influence our lives. But in 2018 when the Cathedral was assessed as Earthquake Prone and had to be close, I naively thought our worship would not change. Surely, as long as we continued to pray together, what venue we used did not matter. How wrong I was. I came to realise that where we worship is a strong influence in how we worship and how that community holds together. One of my most enduring images is the smiles and joy on the faces of all who attended our ceremonies over the opening weekend in June 2024. Being back in our Cathedral has made a difference and our community is growing and thriving again. 

How does this relate to this weekend’s celebration of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome? Go back through the history of the Church in Rome, and the Church of Saint John Lateran was the Pope’s Cathedral, from which, the entire Church was governed from 324 when the original Church of Saint John Lateran was built. It was the central place of worship for the Catholic world and has continued to be recognised as such for centuries. 

As we recognise the dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome in 324, we pray for our Church today. We pray for this Parish, the Archdiocese, and the New Zealand Bishops. Our churches and sacred places exist to be places where we come to encounter God. May they continue to be places of prayer, peace and joy for all believers.

God Bless

Jane