Parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis will take up a special collection at Masses Sept. 20-21 to help the Cathedral of St. Paul pay down the debt remaining from emergency exterior restorations made a decade ago.
The work from 2000 to 2002, which included replacing the Cathedral’s leaking copper dome, cost approximately $30 million. Capital campaigns, several archdiocesan collections and other fundraising efforts have helped to repay much of that cost. Today, the remaining debt stands at $4.7 million.
Reducing the principal of the debt is necessary so the Cathedral can sustain its ministries and continue the work of ongoing restoration, said Father John Ubel, Cathedral rector. The Cathedral’s monthly interest payment on the debt is about $20,000.
The Cathedral is home to the archbishop’s chair — the “cathedra.” In 2009, the Vatican and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops designated the Cathedral as the National Shrine of the Apostle Paul. Catholics from throughout the archdiocese come to the Cathedral each year to celebrate confirmations and other events important in the life of the local Church, including ordinations to the priesthood and the Rite of Election for catechumens being initiated into the Church.
“On Labor Day weekend, I gave tours to two visiting groups, one from Italy and the other from Lonsdale,” Father Ubel said. “Though my Italian is a bit rusty, I managed the basics and let the beauty of the building speak for itself. Truly, our Church is universal. I hope that we can continue to welcome all who enter these doors — the curious, the devout and those searching for God’s loving presence in their lives.”
