St. Patrick's Cathedral Nearly Closed Due To Disrepair
St. Patrick's Cathedral. (Fibena/Dreamstime)
Tuesday, 14 Apr 2015 09:29 AM
St. Patrick's Cathedral was on the verge of being closed down because of the concerns insurers had about the poor state of one of the nation's most historic and well-known Catholic churches, Cardinal Timothy Dolan said on Monday.
"We're not talking about luxury. We're not talking about putting luster to a great work of art. We're talking about repair, because literally, the stones are falling and literally, our insurance people are saying, 'if you don't do some repair, we're going to have to close it,'" Cardinal Dolan said in a breakfast address to the Association for a Better New York, according to The New York Post.
Cardinal Dolan announced in March 2012 the launch of a campaign to raise funds to restore the cathedral, which was showing signs of its age, including leaks in the roof, crumbling facades, and air and heating systems that were old and failing, according to The New York Times.
According to the cathedral's website, $100 million of the $175 million needed for the restoration project has been raised and the diocese is on track to complete the repairs by December 2015.
However, Cardinal Dolan told the audience that the repairs could be completed before Pope Francis visits the United States in September, reports The New York Daily News.
Although St. Patrick's holds particular significance for Catholics, the substantial number of donations which have come from non-Catholics reflects the fondness many have for the historic landmark.
"We couldn't be that far were it not for non-Catholic benefactors who have been extraordinarily good to us," Cardinal Dolan said.
"A prominent Jewish benefactor recalled how, as a boy, coming home from the synagogue each Saturday morning, his mom and dad would take him to the cathedral to light a candle, whispering, 'this is the Catholic big church, but we're welcome here too,'" wrote Cardinal Dolan in a 2014 New York Daily News column.
"We're not talking about luxury. We're not talking about putting luster to a great work of art. We're talking about repair, because literally, the stones are falling and literally, our insurance people are saying, 'if you don't do some repair, we're going to have to close it,'" Cardinal Dolan said in a breakfast address to the Association for a Better New York, according to The New York Post.
Cardinal Dolan announced in March 2012 the launch of a campaign to raise funds to restore the cathedral, which was showing signs of its age, including leaks in the roof, crumbling facades, and air and heating systems that were old and failing, according to The New York Times.
According to the cathedral's website, $100 million of the $175 million needed for the restoration project has been raised and the diocese is on track to complete the repairs by December 2015.
However, Cardinal Dolan told the audience that the repairs could be completed before Pope Francis visits the United States in September, reports The New York Daily News.
Although St. Patrick's holds particular significance for Catholics, the substantial number of donations which have come from non-Catholics reflects the fondness many have for the historic landmark.
"We couldn't be that far were it not for non-Catholic benefactors who have been extraordinarily good to us," Cardinal Dolan said.
"A prominent Jewish benefactor recalled how, as a boy, coming home from the synagogue each Saturday morning, his mom and dad would take him to the cathedral to light a candle, whispering, 'this is the Catholic big church, but we're welcome here too,'" wrote Cardinal Dolan in a 2014 New York Daily News column.
Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/US/StPatricks-Cathedral-New-York-disrepair/2015/04/14/id/638342/#ixzz3XLNhOeJX
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