Reopening St. Agnes Cathedral

St. Agnes is open again after being closed over the winter.

Following renovations in the cathedral, the church is having a rededication and a consecration for the new altar on March 18 at 7:30 p.m. The church will be open for Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter.

“We have refurbished the pews, new kneelers… the ceiling has been painted, and we’ve also done flooring beneath the pews,” said Monsignor William Koenig. “It’s now a vinyl floor instead of carpet.” There’s also a new baptismal font and pulpit.

Since Jan. 4, the inside of the cathedral has been closed. Reopening it also means the return of Masses, funerals, weddings, baptisms and communions. While the renovations were taking place, Masses and baptisms were held in the parish center and the lower hall, and funerals were held at other churches in the area. St. Agnes did not hold any weddings this winter.

Meanwhile, work continues on the church’s front exterior, including its limestone caps and copper roof. The windows and doors in both towers were also replaced. “There was more extensive work on the west tower than anticipated,” said Koenig. “When they took away the exterior bricks, they realized the interior bricks had also been compromised.” He added, however, that the damage to the bricks on the taller east tower was not as bad as anticipated, and they did not have to be replaced.

“Our hope now is looking to finish the front part,” said Koenig. “We’ve been working outside through the wind, but we’re fortunate because the winter has been so mild.”

A 4-foot-tall limestone cross fell off the church’s façade two years ago, and a subsequent engineering report concluded that while the building is structurally sound, it needs repairs so nothing else falls off. No one was hurt when the cross fell.

Parishioners and other fundraising brought in $4.5 million for the project.

When the work is finished, sometime this summer, the church will look into continuing renovations on the other three sides. The engineering report said that while there is some damage, it is not as extensive as on the front of the building.