The Saints
in Coffee
Jars Exhibition
The Story of Bishop John Grimes and the Relics hidden beneath Ōtautahi’s Catholic Basilica.
In 2021, an assortment of bone fragments and metalwork were discovered in coffee jars buried beneath the ruins of Ōtautahi Christchurch’s Roman Catholic basilica. How—and why—had these items come to be buried? Recovered before the basilica badly damaged by the 2010-11 earthquakes—was demolished, the contents of the coffee jars contained relics collected by the first Catholic bishop of Christchurch, John Grimes SM. Indeed, like the buried fragments, Grimes is largely forgotten in 21st-century Aotearoa. Yet, as Christchurch’s first Roman Catholic bishop, he was not only responsible for building the basilica, but was also a civic leader who left his mark on fields that range from education to animal welfare. The assorted relics were central to +Grimes’s vision of a Christian society transplanted into the southern hemisphere.
The Saints in Coffee Jars exhibition told the story of Bishop Grimes’s relic collection, explaining the concept of a relic, tracing the history of relics across twenty centuries. It explored why this particular collection of relics was hidden from public sight and considers Bishop Grimes as a key historical figure in Ōtautahi Christchurch.
Support & Media Coverage
Saints in Coffee Jars Exhibition
Here we celebrate the generous patrons whose financial contributions made ‘Saints in Coffee Jars’ possible.
We are grateful to a number of private donors who wished to support the exhibition and website. In addition, we gratefully received two grants:
A JOINT EXHIBITION BY THE UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY AND THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH ARCHIVES