 | Sydney Churches / Cathedrals Reviews | Tips 1 - 10 of 26 |  |
 | |  |  | Churches / Cathedrals: St Andrews - Centre of Spiritual Calmness | Tip Rating:   |  |  | |  |
I've said it bfore & I'll say it again (& not for the last time. lol!), it's funny how things happen. My plan on this day (with limited time) was to head up to Hyde Park, snap a few photos & have lunch at Bar Quattro where I've had coffee a couple of times before.
But, (you knew that was coming didn't you!), I was walking past here to get to Hyde Park, took a couple of exterior photos & decided to have a squiz (aussiespeak for look) inside.
To say I wasn't disappointed has the master of understatement striking yet again.Two aspects of the interior impressed & delighted me, & can be summed up as, the feel & the looks.
For me as a person who picks up on the feeling & atmosphere of a place, I experienced a lovely calmness & spiritual (if you want to call it such) peacefulness. As impressed as I was with both Notre Dame & Sainte Chapelle, neither of them had this feel to them.
The looks had a number of aspects that I enjoyed. Lovely stained glass windows (26)that aren't that common in Sydney, illustrating miracles & parables of Jesus & the great east window showing images of the life of St. Andrew. Beautiful timber & I must visit again to see if any is either red cedar or mahogany. The interior is not too big or complicated. But that works for it, not against it somehow.
I could have enjoyed a chamber music performance by a group of students from the associated St Andrews Cathedral School at 1:10 p.m., but time was against me (& hunger as well).
So, if you've been traipsing the streets siteseeing, or undertaking intensive retail therapy in the nearby QVB you may well be in need of a relaxing, calming (especially after the prices in the QVB shops) visit to St Andrews Cathedral. Rest awhile here & recharge your batteries.
And just to finish off, for all of the above I didn't have to pay a cent (although one can make contributions voluntarily).
It is Australia's oldest cathedral founded in 1819 but not consecrated until 1868 You can tour the cathedral at 11am & 1pm on weekdays & 12pm on Sundays. Leave a Comment Address: Cnr of George & Bathurst Streets, SydneyPhone: 02 9265 1661Directions: Right next to Sydney Townhall. I travelling by govt bus alight at George St/Bathurst St stop from: - 339, 413-423, 428-440, 501, X01, X23-28, X38-40 (X denotes Express Bus). Sydney Explorer Bus Stop 1. Town Hall is the nearest Train Station.
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| | | | Churches / Cathedrals: St. Mary's Cathedral, go inside ! | Tip Rating:  | | | | |
I'm not a church type of guy. BUT that being said, I truly enjoy touring the massive cathedrals and houses of worship during my travels. From an architectural standpoint, they represent the pinnacle of a people's minds and hearts. There's something soothing, at least to me, about the echoed sounds of quiet footsteps in a massive cathedral.
St. Mary's Cathedral in Sydney takes its place among the larger Roman Catholic structures throughout the world. Its stained glass windows are especially impressive. I also noted the various remembrances and monuments to recent papal visits in Sydney. Apparently, Pope Paul VI was the first pontiff to visit Australia, back in the late 1960s, I believe. And of course, the most widely-traveled pope in history, John Paul II, also said mass at St. Mary's. Both men are remembered within the cathedral.
And, for some reason, I always like to see the various architectual and artistic renderings for The Stations of the Cross. Leave a Comment Address: College @ Cathedral Streets, NE corner Hyde ParkPhone: 02 9220 0400Directions: The cathedral is basically BETWEEN Hyde Park (NE corner) and The Domain at the Botanical Gardens. The massive sandstone spires of St. Mary's can be seen throughout central SydneyOther Contact: 02 9223 5208 (fax)
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