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The Historic Albany Foundation is presenting the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany with a stewardship award May 22, recognizing the ongoing efforts to maintain and restore the historic building that is the mother church of the Albany Diocese.

The award, one of the foundation's annual Preservation Merit Awards, notes the financial and other challenges endemic in such a restoration project. Renovations to the cathedral have been underway since the year 2000. After critical restoration of the building's crumbling exterior brownstone and a new roof, $6 million in interior restoration work was completed and the building was rededicated in 2010.

Much work still remains to be done on the circa-1852 cathedral. Recently, three of its five sacristies were renovated, with a focus on plumbing, heating and ventilation (read a previous story at www.evangelist.org). In process is restoration of the cathedral's rose window; still needed is restoration of the crypt on the lower level, where six of the eight deceased bishops of the Diocese are interred.

Rev. Michael Farano, administrator of the cathedral, is proud of the latest acknowledgement of the work toward preserving the worship space, which serves as a center for diocesan Masses and events. Father Farano told The Evangelist that "this award recognizes the nearly 20 years of ongoing restoration and repair work that has been undertaken at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

"The most recent work involved the restoration of three of the five sacristies of the cathedral. The funds were generated from an estate gift and from fundraising, which included gifts from many friends of the cathedral, parishioners and many of the parishes of the Albany Diocese," he added.

The awards ceremony will take place May 22, 6 p.m., at the cathedral. Other Albany locations and area residents and groups receiving Preservation Merit Awards include 1 Columbia Place, 157 Dove Street, 466 Madison Avenue, 170 Western Avenue, the Albany County Land Bank, 71 Ten Eyck Avenue, 733 Broadway, Eric and Marybeth Schadow, the Albany Artisans, retired deputy commissioner for historic pre­servation Ruth Pierpont and William Brandow.

(For information, contact 518- 465-0876, ext. 14, or [email protected]. For more on the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and its renovation work, go to www.cathedralic.com.)[[In-content Ad]]

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