A world where we live in harmony with creation and all people, and where every person is treasured as a beloved child of God and a reflection of God’s good creation.
Our Mission
Our Mission is to be a Christian Community seeking and worshipping God together which strives, with all other likeminded groups and people, to achieve this vision.
Monday-Friday 9 am - 3 pm THE CATHEDRAL SHOP
Monday-Friday 10 am - 2 pm Sunday 11 am - 12 pm
Box 338, Hamilton 3240
Waikato Cathedral Church of St Peter Te whare karakia matua o Pita Tapu ki Waikato
Maana e Whakarewa — Raising Voices in Song
Opening Reflection
What do you think it was like for Martha and Mary when they heard from the messenger that Jesus was not coming immediately, as they might have hoped?
What do you think it was like for the woman who was haemorrhaging for twelve long years to finally be released from her suffering?
What might it have been like for the disciples as they gave out the seemingly endless loaves and fish from the child’s packed lunch to the crowd?
The St Peter’s Young Adults group have been pondering questions like these over the past month as we have sat, shared food, ‘broken bread’, and slowly reflected on the Gospel readings before us. Considering who is it that we conjure in our minds as we read these names? Who do we think of when we hear that it is a small child who the disciples bring to Jesus? Who do we think of when we hear about Lazarus who is ill? Who appears in our imagination as we hear of the bleeding woman?
And moreover, how might we feel as we imagine ourselves as a spectator or, perhaps, a character in the Gospel reading? How might we feel as the ritually unclean woman who is bleeding makes her way through the bustling crowd around Jesus? As she ignores the ritual purity of the crowd in order that she might reach out and touch this Rabbi’s cloak that she might be healed. What anxiety might we experience knowing that this woman should not be approaching or touching this holy Rabbi who has come into town, someone of high status and high religious significance? How might we feel as Jesus calls out, “Who touched me?” knowing that she could be sentenced to death for her indiscretion?
This method of reading slowly and reflecting on the Gospel stories while imagining ourselves within those stories, imagining the feelings, experiences, the relationships is loosely based on an Ignatian way of reading the Bible. This is a way that I am very fond of precisely because of how accessible it is for us to engage with the bible. It is a lovely way because it gives permission to us to ask simple and profound questions, to find those things simple and profound that are being revealed by the Holy Spirit to us as we engage with the biblical text.
That is the beauty of our scriptures, by the Holy Spirit, we are all empowered and invited to find God, find Christ within them so that we might contemplate on who we find and go out to share the same with all who God calls to us!
Fr Ben Ong Priest Assistant to the Dean
Cathedral Diary
Weekly Events & Services
Sun Breakfast Youth Church 8:00 am (term time)
Sun Said Eucharist (Holy Communion) 8:00 am
Sun Choral Eucharist (Holy Communion) 10:00 am
Sun Junior Church 10:00 am (term time)
Mon – Fri Morning Prayer 9:00 am (online)
Tues Young Adults’ Group 6:00 pm
Wed Said Eucharist (Holy Communion) 10:00 am
Thurs Little Fishes 10:00 am (term time)
Fri Eucharist in Te Reo Māori 12:10 pm
Fri Junior Choir 3:30 pm (term time)
St Peter’s Social Group
What’s On - July to September
July
A Well-Deserved Honour for a Taonga to Our Cathedral
Congratulations to all those recognised in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours, and especially to our Director of Music, Dr Rachael Griffiths-Hughes, who on 1 June 2026 was named a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to music.
Rachael has been Director of Music at St Peter’s Cathedral since 2000, and we are deeply grateful for her leadership, dedication, and passion. We are delighted to see her contribution recognised in this way. She is a blessing to our Cathedral and wider community.
Congratulations
Rachael.
From all at St Peter’s Cathedral.
Service Sheets
Our service sheets can be accessed online and you can use your phone to read them in church.
We need to save on paper and costs. Within the Cathedral, you can access the “CathedralFree” Wi-Fi without a password.
Mission
One aspect of Mission we are actively engaged with at St Peter’s comes under the twin umbrellas of Pastoral Care and Mission.
The world can feel very unsettling. We hear of wars and rumours of wars. There are environmental disasters and the cost-of-living challenges many. However, God is quietly and powerfully at work in many people’s lives. And here at the Waikato Cathedral Church of St Peter, we prayerfully surrender to the Holy Spirit so that we might do our part in transforming the world into a place where God’s will is done.
We call this outward facing work – Mission.
One aspect of Mission we are actively engaged with at St Peter’s comes under the twin umbrellas of Pastoral Care and Mission. Each month up to six rest homes and/ or retirement villages are visited by ordained and/or lay ministers (members of the pastoral care team) to lead a Eucharist or Communion. This means that up to 100 people, beyond our church doors, are able to receive Holy Eucharist. Many of these people are unable to attend a church.
The Reverend Robin Olds extended the number of rest home services and now oversees this pastoral care/ mission ministry. While some of the service participants are St Peter’s parishioners, the majority are not. Given the rest homes and retirement villages are beyond our parish borders the services become a mission outreach. We notice that some participants have not been regular church attendees during their lives but are now regularly participating in the services. Occasionally there are some who look at us with eyes filled with despair and fear. It is a joy to see this look disappear as the message of God’s all-encompassing love becomes a reality. For these people, the shadow of death does not dissipate, but they grow further into the knowledge that they are ‘profoundly, (and) persistently loved by the God who created them and (who) will welcome them home.’ 1
The gift of this pastoral care/mission work for those of us who visit the rest homes/retirement villages is that our lives are profoundly touched by those who attend the services.
It is truly humbling to be so gratefully welcomed and appreciated.
We give thanks to God for the resources and gifting God makes available to us as we reach out to these ones who know their need of God.
1 Pickering, Sue. (2014). Creative Ideas for Ministry with the Aged. Norwich, U.K.: Canterbury Press. (pp.4).
Robin Olds and Vivianne Flintoff
Arvida Cascades Retirement Village
Steele Park Home
Hilda Ross Retirement Village
Are you young? Do you like fun? Then BYC’s for YOU!!!
What a year it’s been!
As you can see from the photos, our BYC community is growing.
With more awesome young people, parents/caregivers and leaders joining us each term. It’s been such a joy to see everyone connecting, growing, and having a great time together!
So far, the highlights of the year have included: Making movies about Communion, dressing the adults like mummies (in toilet paper), making an outfit out of newspaper but I think our best one yet... make up makeovers!!! And thanks to the congregation for your support.
Our Baptism and Confirmation programme is underway this term. We have learnt about the gospel (and had heaps of fun)! Thanks to all our helpers and parents for their support!
Save the date for Sunday, 9 August @ 8am for our Baptism and Confirmation service. The Bishop is coming and we’re having a shared kai after the service. We need EVERYONE to come celebrate what God has been doing in this family ministry!
BYC meets Sundays at the 8am service in the Cathedral
Centre during term time, and we’d love to see even more new faces. So, tell your school mates, friends, neighbours, and whānau — everyone’s welcome!
Enjoy Matariki & God bless, Zavier & the BYC Team
From the Cathedral Choir
The Cathedral is home to four choirs, the Cathedral Choir, Cathedral Singers, Junior Choir, and Cantata Choir. We caught up with two former Cathedral Choir members to find out what they’re up to now and what they remember of their time here.
Aidan Thomas Phillips recalls first joining the Cathedral Choir.
“I was 14, having just moved with my family over from the UK, where I’d already been a choral scholar at St. John the Baptist in central Newcastle Upon Tyne.”
Music was already a familiar part of his life, but one early memory at the Cathedral stood out: “We did ‘The Heavens are telling the glory of God’ from Haydn’s Creation as an Anthem, and it was one of the first tenor solos I sang with the choir.”
“I just remember getting so caught up in how joyful it was,” he says.
Now based in the UK, Aidan is rehearsing for four productions with a fifth on the way, splitting his time between Scotland and England. Looking ahead, his focus is on making a professional solo debut in the UK or Europe, developing into lyrical-dramatic roles such as Fidelio, Tosca, Lohengrin, and Carmen.
Despite the distance, Waikato Cathedral remains close to home. “I’m still in the Cathedral Choir group chat, and my mum still sings in the Alto section. I still get the newsletter.” For Aidan, it remains “a place that will always be near and dear to my heart as a spiritual home.”
Cecily Shaw joined St Peter's Cathedral Choir in her early twenties. "I would have been about 21," she said.
While music played a central role, it's the joy and camaraderie of choir life she vividly remembers. "I remember all the giggles and notes I shared with the choir members; we were honestly like school children! Lots of hilariously immature jokes." One memory in particular has stuck: "facepalm Sunday," when palm branch decorations kept whacking the choir in the face, setting off fits of laughter.
Now living in London, Cecily has returned to New Zealand this July for the first time in three years, having been selected as a semi-finalist in the Kiri Te Kanawa Song Quest. Life overseas is busy, balancing rehearsals with work to cover London's cost of living, but she hopes to visit the Cathedral while she's home.
Despite the distance, her connection to St Peter's remains strong. "The Cathedral will always be like my family. They sort of raised me. I wouldn't be where I am without them. I'm really grateful to have found such a friendly, sound and open-minded church during my time in Hamilton. The world needs more places like that!"
To read the full articles, head to www.stpeter.org.nz/music
Snapshot - more info on
Parallel Histories
On with the Old and In with the New St Peter’s Cathedral and the Waikato Regional Theatre. Sam Edwards poses a question:
“Is there really that much difference between a theatre and a cathedral for live performance?”
More Joy! MORE Wonder!
It just keeps on coming from the old girl. (It is Anglican custom to refer to the church as female.)
150 years ago, we had two licensed organisations sitting opposite each other on Victoria Street, each vying for custom for their own buildings. In the top picture, facing us on our left looking north, is the first consecrated, i.e. “licensed,” St Peter’s. The white building on the right facing us is the first Hamilton Hotel, also a licensed premises, later to be known as Mrs Gwynne’s Hotel, on the site now occupied by the new theatre.
It does not take much imagination to see that the two establishments had a great deal in common. Both offered a place to mark life’s milestones, entertainment, and opportunities for discussion. Both relied on income drawn from the same population, and both, somewhat ironically, were built of local wood and destroyed by fire: the original church, most likely in 1867, and the Hamilton Hotel in 1892 and again in 1922.
A significant difference was in the sense of what might be called “paradise.” At Mrs Gwynne’s Hotel, despite, or perhaps because of, her very clear expectations of behaviour, one could find a kind of everyday joy in companionship and a pint of ale, or even two, in her Eden-like garden.
Across the road, St Peter’s reflected a different rhythm of life, shaped by worship, community, and the customs of Anglican practice. These included the social and liturgical conventions of the time, such as dress and decorum, which would have been familiar to those attending services in that era.
In the 21st century, the contrast between sacred and secular space is less sharply defined, yet both continue to offer forms of gathering, reflection, and community life in their own ways. Even now, a cathedral and a theatre are still doing much the same job... giving people a reason to gather, and something worth gathering for.
Great news. I will keep trying both, particularly with the Cathedral continuing to deliver such high-quality
“This is the main street of Hamilton as it was forty years ago. The building on the right is the old Hamilton Hotel which occupied the identical site where the hotel burned down a few weeks ago stood. Directly opposite is the old Anglican Church, which eventually became the office of the Waikato Times.”
Photo and inscription above supplied by the Waikato Times, P. 13, 2 May, 1922 and the photo itself was taken in 1882.
Closer up, the church would have looked like this, below.
vis industrial and commercial spectacle.
Maybe we could swell the earthquake strengthening fund by paying the same price for entry to Cathedral events, including Sunday Service with all its choral beauty and human wisdom, as we do for entry to theatre gigs, and offer free parking as a bonus.
Thanks Mrs Gwynne, for showing us how it’s done. Good company, an open door, and a reason to gather. And thanks to the old girl across the road, still doing exactly that, more than a century on.
Cheers, Sam
Opinion Piece
Raising the Roof (and Funds) for the Cathedral
On Saturday, 13 June, Hamilton Civic Choir and St Peter’s Cathedral Choir joined forces for Maana e Whakarewa – Raising Voices in Song, a concert held in support of the Cathedral’s earthquake strengthening and restoration project.
The performance drew a full house, with many in attendance for the music and the building’s reputation for outstanding acoustics. Word on the street was that it didn’t disappoint.
The combined choirs were led by the exceptional team of conductors: Maria Colvin, Dr Rachael Griffiths-Hughes MNZM, Elise Bradley MNZM, and Dr Karen Grylls ONZM, CNZM (pictured top right with Hamilton Civic Choir Patron, Mayor of Hamilton, Tim Macindoe).
The programme showcased the choirs performing together, as well as individual sets from each choir and solo performances by choir members.
This special fundraising concert celebrated the power of music to bring people together, with a programme of inspiring choral works performed in a treasured space. The evening raised around $5,000 for the St Peter’s Cathedral earthquake strengthening and restoration project.
An unforgettable evening of opera, storytelling, and world-class performance.
FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY
The evening brings together acclaimed artists, a full professional orchestra, and some of opera's most loved works for a special gala performance in Hamilton.
The concert features Opus Orchestra and is coheadlined by soprano Madeleine Pierard and tenor Emmanuel Fonoti-Fuimaono. Now based in London with The Royal Ballet and Opera, Emmanuel returns to New Zealand especially for this performance.
An evening of opera magic!
BOOK TICKETS | www.bnztheatre.co.nz
Proceeds from the event will support the earthquake strengthening and restoration of the Cathedral. This support will help secure its future for generations to come.
July - September 2026
Waikato Cathedral Earthquake Strengthening and Restoration Project
SAVING
WAIKATO CATHEDRAL Church of St Peter
To ensure this 110-year-old heritage building of worship, music, and community continues to thrive for generations to come, essential earthquake strengthening is required.
Plans are already in place not only to strengthen the Cathedral, but also to develop spaces that meet evolving needs. A staged approach has been created for the works, with Stage One being the Music Centre.
Work is now underway to secure the funding needed to bring these plans to life, which will require leadership support, institutional funding, and participation from parishioners and the wider community.
To learn more about the strengthening project, please visit our website. There you’ll find further information, a place to sign up for updates, and ways to support
Visit stpeter.org.nz/saving-waikato-cathedral/
Cathedral Workshops
NEXT WORKSHOP DATES Sat, 25 July | Sat, 22 Aug | Sat, 19 Sept
Breakfast at 8:30 am Contact Warren: 027 466 5507
Cathedral Prayer Chain
In addition to the Sunday prayer list, if you would like members of the ministry team to remember you, or someone you know, in their daily prayers, please let a member of the ministry team know.
For confidentiality, only the first name of the person will be passed around the prayer chain.
Cathedral Shop
TO ALL OF OUR PARISHIONERS CELEBRATING A BIRTHDAY IN JULY, AUGUST, OR SEPTEMBER
The Cathedral Shop has an exciting range of material both imported and local which is appropriate for church and personal use.
Open Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 12 pm. Feel free to contact us via shop@stpeter.org.nz
Come and see how we ring the bells.
Sundays 9:15 am to 9:45 am Wednesdays 7:45 pm to 9:15 pm
CATHEDRAL MINISTRY TEAM
The Very Rev'd Julian Perkins 020 4124 6555 | deanjulian@stpeter.org.nz
(Day off - Friday)
Fr Ben Ong 022 627 3217 | ben@stpeter.org.nz
(Day off - Friday)
The Rev'd Robin Olds (07) 854 6713 | 027 441 9292 | pastoralcare@stpeter.org.nz
The Rev’d Wendy Tyrrell bells@stpeter.org.nz
CATHEDRAL CONTACTS
People’s Warden | Kay Neilson 021 1522 999 | peopleswarden@stpeter.org.nz
