Sigh! Waiting for the fixtures...

Our little restroom in the vestibule of the Cathedral is much larger than it was; however, it's still empty!

I am told that the fixtures should be here in a couple of weeks. It probably will not take long to install everything.

For now, all we can do is admire the paint, the wall tiles, and the floor tiles. If you like it, please tell Fr. Matt that you like his choices. He did a great job.

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Church Fire Suppression System is done!

The large hydraulic basket lift, affectionately known as "our blue friend," is back in the middle of the Cathedral! It will complete the fire suppression system.

Workers are placing a small cover over each hole in the ceiling. The covers hide the sprinkler heads. If the system detects a fire in the Cathedral, the small covers will fall from the ceiling as the sprinkler heads lower and begin spraying water.

The lift will be removed for this weekend's Masses.

Update: The work is complete. Unless you are carefully looking for the covers, they are not visible.

Final Touches: The (nearly) Finished Vestibule

The vestibule is nearly finished. The wood is freshly stained. The paint is dry. It looks great.

The vestibule's tile floor is in the process of being cleaned. It has been a long and laboreous process scraping the carpet glue off. You can see from the photo below how vivid the colors are.

The only remaining project in the vestibule is the completion of the handicapped-accessible restroom. It is ironic that the restroom's expansion was the primary reason for the vestibule's renovation. The fixtures for the restroom are due on October 1 and will be installed quickly.

New Color Palate revealed

If you've been wondering what the Cathedral will look like when it is painted, you can see a "sneak peek" in the vestibule. The lower portion of the wall remains the same green. The only difference is that it is new paint! The upper wall is a cream color that complements the stained glass windows.

As we removed the carpet, we were surprised to discover that the original tile floor is still there. It is covered in carpet glue and therefore very sticky and discolored. We are working to remove the glue to see if we can restore the tile floor to its original beauty.

[Click on the photos for larger versions.]

The vestibule is not open yet. I do not recommend that you enter the vestibule because the floor is still quite sticky with carpet glue.

Lighting Controllers installed

The new controllers for the lighting in the Cathedral are here. The electrical and lighting contractors have already installed over five miles of copper wire to replace the existing wire, some of which dates back to the 1940s.

This new lighting system will give much more control over the way the Cathedral is lit. The current brass light fixtures will remain in the church, but the lamps - the light bulbs - will be replaced with ones that will provide a more natural light.

The end result is that the paint colors and the stained glass will look more vivid and beautiful.

Video Update: Monsignor Gier

Monsignor Gregory A. Gier, Rector, comments on the Restoration of the Cathedral so far.

Now on iTunes....

If you wish to listen to the audio from the Renovation Update videos, visit the following web site to subscribe via iTunes: Cathedral Media on iTunes. The iTunes series will soon include a podcast about young Catholics.

We will have another Renovation Update posted soon. Msgr. Gier is going to talk about the renovation.