This makes the cathedral the future mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch (Dioecesis Christopolitana).

[1] Initially, the cathedral was to be located on the corner of Armagh and Colombo Streets, opposite Victoria Square.

[3] Plans for the new cathedral, including a building collaboration called North of the Square with Ōtākaro Limited, and the Carter Group were announced by Bishop Martin on 7 December 2019.

[1][4] This collaboration, priced at NZ$500m, included new offices and a chancery, a five-star hotel, and a multi-storey carpark.

[9] On 26 March 2023, congregations of the Christchurch Diocese were told that the Vatican's supreme court, the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura halted action on the building project, to hear a legal case from a group of 300 parishioners (collectively known as 'The Gathering') from around Christchurch who opposed the $100 million building plan.

On 4 August 2024, Bishop Michael announced the new cathedral's name will be that of its predecessor: The Blessed Sacrament.