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Mostly Cloudy St. Agnes gets a facelift
Cathedral’s first renovation in 30 years
Parishioners who have been away for a while will be surprised the next time they attend Mass at St. Agnes Cathedral.
The church is currently undergoing some much-needed renovations to repair aging sections and to restore the beauty of the building. Built in 1935, it has undergone sporadic renovations, the most recent taking place in 1982.
“More than 30 years ago, the beloved Bishop John McGann renovated the Cathedral Church in accordance with the regulations that the U.S. Bishops had published,” Bishop William Murphy wrote in a letter to parishioners. “Now after 30 years and much change, this Church, like so many others in our Diocese, is in need of a renewal according to the more recent directives of the Holy See and the U.S. Bishops.”
The work began after Christmas, and is continuing. Parts of the church needed to be closed, and temporary walls and worship areas were set up so that it could continue to function during the renovations.
Major changes are planned for the tabernacle and the sanctuary — the area behind the altar — in order to make it more grand. It now features a large wooden cross and wooden decorative pieces, known as reredos, behind it on a mostly flat, white wall. The new sanctuary will have a large oak arch and ornate woodwork at ground level. The reredos will be restored to more natural-looking wood to match the sanctuary, and the cross will be raised.
The floor around the altar will be refinished, and parts of the steps will be re-cut. The podium that cantors and lectors use will be moved to the opposite side of the altar.
The bishop’s chair, known as a cathedra (where the cathedral gets its name), will also be changed. The chair that Murphy uses now will be removed, and the original cathedra, from when the church was made a cathedral in the 1950s, which was being kept in storage, will be restored and re-installed.
The renovations will extend to the outside of the building as well. State-of-the-art, high-efficiency lighting will be added to better illuminate the church at night.
