Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Gibraltar

Cathedral of the Holy Trinity
Gibraltar Cathedral
Main entry of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Gibraltar viewed from Cathedral Square, depicting its Moorish-style horseshoe arches.
36.138235°N 5.35406°W/36.138235; -5.35406
Location	Cathedral Square
Country	Gibraltar
Denomination	Church of England
Website	holytrinitygibraltar.org
History
Status	Cathedral(since 1842) Church(1825 – 1842)
Founded	1838
Founder(s)	John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham
Dedication	Holy Trinity
Dedicated	1838
Events	Explosion of the RFABedenham(1951)
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Peter Harrison
Style	Moorish Revival
Years built	1825–1832
Administration
Diocese	Diocese in Europe
Archdeaconry	Gibraltar
Clergy
Dean	Ian Tarrant
Canon(s)	Robin Gill(Canon Theologian)

TheCathedral of the Holy Trinityis thecathedralfor theChurch of EnglandArchdeaconry of Gibraltarin theDiocese of Europe.Located inCathedral Square,it is sometimes referred to simply asGibraltar Cathedral,although it should not be confused with theCathedral of St. Mary the Crowned,which isGibraltar'sRoman Catholiccathedral.

The cathedral is particularly notable for itsMoorish revival architecture,particularly in its use ofhorseshoe arches.This is an architectural style inspired byMoorish architecture,appropriate given the period of Moorish control inGibraltar's history.

History

19th century

The church was originally built to meet the needs ofAnglicanworshippers among the civil population of Gibraltar, as theKing's Chapelwas primarily reserved for military use.John Pitt, Earl of Chatham,who had arrived asGovernor of Gibraltarin 1820, persuaded theBritish Governmentto sell a derelict building and use the money to build a church on the land. Building work began in 1825 and the church was completed in 1832. The original architect wasPeter Harrisonwho prepared a design around 1740, without Moorish arches. More than eighty years later Colonel Pilkington of theRoyal Engineerswas in charge of the work, and the design was modified. During the building process, the partially completed church had to be used for a short time as an emergency hospital during anepidemicofyellow fever.

The church wasconsecratedin 1838 by Archdeacon Edward Burrow in the presence of theDowagerQueen Adelaide,widow ofWilliam IV.It was raised to cathedral status in 1842, with the creation of the Diocese of Gibraltar at the time ofenthronementofGeorge Tomlinsonas the firstBishop of Gibraltar.

20th century

The cathedral suffered no significant damage during theSecond World War.After the war had come to an end, BishopHarold Buxtonmade an appeal for the purpose of "Saying Thank You toMaltaand Gibraltar ", with the intention of raising funds to be spent on improvements forSt Paul's Pro-Cathedral, Maltaand the cathedral in Gibraltar. In Gibraltar the money raised was used for the construction of newvestriesand the creation of a second chapel in the southaisleof the cathedral, to be dedicated toSaint Georgeand in memory of all who lost their lives in the Mediterranean area during the war. A stone fromCoventry Cathedral,which was ruined inthe Blitz,is let into the wall behind the baptismal font. It is a small stone with a cross. Theexplosion of the RFABedenhamon 27 April 1951 caused substantial damage to the cathedral, lifting the roof and smashing the stained glass. The windows in the sides of the building were re-glazed with plain glass, whilst the gathered fragments of coloured glass were used to construct the new stained glass window which remains in the east wall, above the high altar. The cathedral required extensive repair work and was not in use until Christmas of that year.

Clergy

Further information:Dean of Gibraltar

As with mostChurch of Englandcathedrals, thepriestin charge of the building and its ministry is called theDean,currently Ian Tarrant (John Paddockretired in 2017).The Canon Theologian isRobin Gill.Adrian Mumford is the honorary Lay Canon Precentor. TheBishop in Europeis based inBrussels.

Gallery

• 
  Cathedral'sportico.
• 
  Cathedral's main entrance.
• 
  Cathedral'snave.
• 
  Cathedral'sbema.
• 
  Cathedral'slecternandpipe organ.
• 
  Cathedral's southern aisle.

See also

• Anglicanism in Spain
• List of cathedrals in the United Kingdom
• Holy Trinity Pro-Cathedral, Brussels
• St Paul's Pro-Cathedral, Valletta

External links

• "The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Gibraltar".Holy Trinity Gibraltar.Retrieved27 March2020.- Official website
• "The Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Trinity on".DiscoverGibraltar.com. Archived fromthe originalon 26 June 2012.Retrieved23 November2012.