St Jude's Cathedral, Iqaluit

Saint Jude's, the Cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of the Arctic, was structurally damaged by an arson fire November 5, 2005 and as a result had to be demolished in 2006.   It was built to resemble an igloo and completed in 1972 (shown right).

The Diocese of the Arctic received approximately $770,000 towards reconstruction from the insurance.   The construction cost of $7.3 million for a new cathedral was beyond the financial capabilities of St. Jude parishioners and even the Diocese of the Arctic.

The Diocese of the Arctic made an appeal both within and beyond the borders of the Arctic, and both within and beyond the borders of the Anglican denomination, to raise the funds needed.   After 3 years the diocese had raised $3 million and in June 2009 was able to begin the initial construction phase of the new St. Jude's Cathedral.

Like the old St. Jude's, the new cathedral will showcase Inuit culture.   A Narwhal cross will be mounted on a zinc backdrop which not only highlights the cross but improves acoustics.   A new feature of undulating waves, clouds or snowdrifts will be added to the interior design, also to improve acoustics.

The new cathedral will seat 375 people in chairs plus 56 more on benches; the old cathedral used to seat only 250 people.

Additions include a Sunday school room, choir room, nursery, sacristy and offices.   The previous cathedral never had washrooms or running water and the children always had to meet in the parish hall (a separate building) for Sunday school.   The new structure will now make it possible for the diocese to host more outreach programs and community gatherings and make it truly a spiritual home for all Anglicans across the diocese.

As of July 2011, $4.8 million has been raised and spent on constructing the foundation, shell, steeple, cross and doors. An additional $2.5 million is needed for plumbing, flooring, electrical wiring and drywall inside the building.   For more information on the progress of the project visit Arctic Appeal

This site is a member of WebRing. To browse visit here.