KEY POINTS:
St Patrick's Cathedral was a heavenly sight yesterday, surrounded by 160 white and yellow balloons, including those held by 11-year-olds Jaedyn Damms (left) and Brian Vaai, to mark the 160th anniversary of the Catholic Diocese of Auckland.
Students from St Peter's College and more than 50 staff from the Pompallier Diocesan Centre attended a Mass at the cathedral to celebrate the beginnings of the diocese , created on June 20, 1848.
St Patrick's Cathedral in Wyndham St was NZ's first cathedral church and one of Auckland's first stone buildings. It's one of the city's oldest heritage buildings. It was built between 1846 and 1848 after Bishop Pompallier asked Governor Hobson for land to build a church.
Last year, a $12.8 million cathedral restoration project was completed. It included a new slate roof, foundation strengthening and the repairing and protection of the church's stained-glass windows.
