Coventry Blitz the 1950s, designed by the architect Basil Spence. Spence (later knighted for this work) insisted that instead of re-building the old cathedral it should be kept in ruins as a garden of remembrance and that the new cathedral should be built alongside, the two buildings together effectively forming one church. The use of Hollington sandstone for the new Coventry Cathedral provides an element of unity between the buildings. The foundation stone of the new cathedral was laid by the Queen on 23 March 1956. It was consecrated on 25 May 1962, and Benjamin Britten's "War Requiem", composed for the occasion,
Cathedral of St. John (Winnipeg) the 25th anniversary of his consecration as bishop, the intricately carved hexagonal oak pulpit (1907), the Italian marble font (1870), and a Coventry cross, made of nails salvaged from the mediaeval Coventry Cathedral which fell victim to the Blitz in World War II. The Cathedral also has a wealth of stained glass windows by various designers. Throughout its long history, St. John's Cathedral has always been considered one of Winnipeg's vibrant parishes, and remains so today. Since 2002, St. John's Cathedral has been the only Canadian site to host the annual Trinity Conference by web cast from New York. In