St. Joseph's Cathedral, Rawalpindi
| St. Joseph's Cathedral | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| District | Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi |
| Leadership | Archbishop Joseph Arshad |
| Location | |
| Location |  Rawalpindi, Pakistan |
| Geographic coordinates | 33°35′01″N 73°03′22″E / 33.5837°N 73.0562°E |
| Architecture | |
| Style | red-brick |
St. Joseph's Cathedral, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, is the main church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi.[1]
Four armed guards sit at the gates of the Cathedral, guarding it as well as the Bishop's House in a garden set behind a high wall. Threats from Islamic militants have made this protection essential. Although almost any Christian institution faces similar danger, the Church has no money to pay for more guards.[2]
St. Joseph's Cathedral has large congregations from Rawalpindi, Islamabad and surrounding areas for Good Friday, Easter and Christmas services each year.[3][4]
The Cathedral parish is also home to St. Catherine's Convent. The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary host the St. Catherine's Sewing Center, training poor women in sewing, crochet and embroidery; the women produce hand-made objects for sale.[5]
History
On 21 September 2009, Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana, Apostolic Nuncio to Pakistan, presided at the ordination in St. Joseph's Cathedral, of the new coadjutor bishop of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, Bishop Rufin Anthony. More than 1,500 people attended the event.[6]
In January 2012 a youth group from the Cathedral Parish launched a website "for realising the potential of youth and expressing their concerns in a Christian way", with the hope that it would help counter fundamentalism and fanaticism. Sister Athens Angeles of the Daughters of St. Paul was the main organizer of the group.[7]
Bishop Anthony Theodore Lobo, the former Bishop of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad diocese, died after prolonged illness on 18 February 2013. His funeral was held at Saint Joseph's Cathedral on 20 February. He was buried in the cathedral compound.[8]
References
- ^ "Cathedrals in Pakistan".
- ^ The Telegraph, UK, 24 August 2002
- ^ "Christmas celebrated with fervour in Pakistan 26 December 2003 Pakistan Times".
- ^ "Christians celebrate Easter today Dawn 11 April 2004".
- ^ "UCANews.com November 15, 2007".
- ^ "UCANews 23 September 2009".
- ^ UCANews January 23, 2012
- ^ The Express Tribune February 19, 2013
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