April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
RENOVATIONS
Sacristies at cathedral restored to former glory
Sacristies at cathedral restored to former glory
A church sacristy is a room where priests' vestments and other items needed for liturgies are stored, and where the priest prepares for Mass. But "because the cathedral does not have a hall or other gathering space of any significant size, the sacristies function as religious education space, vesting storage, meetings, etc.," explained Rev. Michael Farano, administrator of the cathedral, in materials written about the renovations.
The cathedral was dedicated in 1852. Restoration work began in the year 2000, with deteriorated stone replaced and a new roof installed.
Two of the sacristies are located on the cathedral's ground floor; there's also one upstairs and one known as the "choir sacristy." The fifth is designated for the Bishop.
Before the renovations, the plaster of the sacristries' ceiling was falling in, wainscoting was separating from the walls and doorways needed to be repaired. Now, the space has been updated for safety reasons, but it has also been restored to the way it originally looked when the sacristies were added to the cathedral in 1891.
The project was financed by a large bequest to the cathedral from an anonymous donor, supplemented by a diocesan grant and donations from individual parishes around the Diocese.
When the parishes were asked for financial help with the renovations, said Father Farano, "It was very heartening. Right away, they said yes." The cathedral is considered the "mother church" or spiritual center of the Diocese.
"We started planning last spring," Father Farano told The Evangelist.
Construction began in June, he noted, and "a lot of the money went into things you can't see," from heating and air conditioning units to better ventilation and reinforcement of the windows.
The sacristies were also given a fresh coat of paint, along with updated carpets and molding, allowing them to look consistent with the rest of the cathedral. Two bathrooms were added, replacing a single, unheated lavatory a visiting bishop once charitably described as "antique."
Many of the workers involved in the project, said Father Farano, had worked on the cathedral before. That's meaningful, he said: "They didn't just treat this as another job. I think they had a keen sense of what they were working on."
The sacristies were blessed by Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger at a quiet ceremony Feb. 8. The cathedral staff attended, as did Bishop Emeritus Howard J. Hubbard, under whose leadership the restoration process began 15 years ago, and key people who had worked on the recent renovations.
After Gospel readings and incensing of each of the sacristies, the rooms were dedicated. Then Father Farano and Bishop Scharfenberger lifted the covers from decorative plaques to reveal that the restoration work had been dedicated to Rev. William Pape, who is the 10th rector of the cathedral, "in recognition of his commitment to the restoration and preservation of the cathedral church."
The dedication came as a complete surprise to Father Pape, who has been at the cathedral since 1994. Father Farano noted that only three other people had known about the dedication.
"I was honored," Father Pape said after the ceremony.
Thus far, about half of the cathedral's necessary renovations have been completed. Among future needs is restoration of the crypt on the lower level, in which six of the eight deceased bishops of the Diocese are buried. This summer, its rose window high on the cathedral's rear wall will be restored.[[In-content Ad]]
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