The Wellington Cathedral of St Paul (also called St Paul's Cathedral or Wellington Cathedral) is an Anglican church in the city of Wellington, New Zealand. It is the mother church of the Diocese of Wellington and the cathedral of the Bishop of Wellington. Situated in Thorndon, the main entrance to the cathedral is on Hill Street, at its junction with Molesworth Street; it is located close to the parliament precinct. The building was designed in the 1930s by New Zealand architect Cecil Wood. Construction began in 1954, and was completed in 1998. It was constructed in reinforced concrete due to the effects of the 1931 Napier earthquake making other choices impractical. The church was initially envisioned as a war memorial cathedral, and it was designed on a monumental scale. Archbishop of New Zealand Reginald Herbert Owen declared in 1958: "Every nation needs in its capital city a great church to express its belief in the things of the spirit". The building began to be used as an Anglican cathedral in 1964 (replacing Old St Paul's), and was consecrated in 2001. Services As well as being a popular attraction, St Paul's Cathedral is a working church with daily services. The cathedral, as the largest church in Wellington, also plays a role in many state occasions. , the normal services are held: Monday–Friday: Morning Prayer, 8.15am Monday–Wednesday and Friday: Evening Prayer, 5.15pm Thursday: Choral Evensong, 5.30pm Sunday: Choral Eucharist and Choral Evensong, 10am and 4pm respectively Choral services often involve the Cathedral Choir. Services normally follow the New Zealand Prayer Book, or other modern printed liturgy. History Background The first Church of St Paul stood behind where the Beehive stands today. This served as the first Anglican parish church for the early British settlers. As early as the 1840s preparations for a cathedral had been made and bricks were laid. However, the first project came to an end in 1855 after an earthquake hit Wellington, which highlighted the unsuitability of brick buildings in such an area. Construction of a second church, today known as "Old St Paul's", located behind the Pipitea Marae, began in 1855. It was the pro-cathedral church for the Anglican Diocese of Wellington from 1866 to 1964. Old St Paul's is still consecrated, but owned by Heritage New Zealand. In 1907, the diocese acquired land for a permanent cathedral, a site close to the Basin Reserve. In July 1917,