The Sanctuary Rug

Last summer, we knew that the installation of the fire suppression system would shake a lot of plaster loose from the vaults. We did not want that plaster to land on the beautiful rug in the sanctuary where it would be ground into the rug as people walked on it.

We sent it off to be cleaned and to have the fringe restored. The rug has been back for several, several weeks. I was taking some photos of it this afternoon and thought that I'd share them.

As always click on the photos for larger versions.

Shiny New Porcelain & Brass

Today saw three moments of major progress!

1. The fire suppression system, long complete in the Cathedral, has now been finished in the Sacristy Attic. Click on the image for a larger version. The sprinkler pipes hang from the rafters and have red elbows.

This is the area upstairs from the Sacristy, the Choir Room, and the hallway that connects them. [And, yes, this is where we store the artificial Christmas trees.]

2. Wood-workers stained all wood in the two smaller entrances at the front (East) side of the Cathedral. This includes the doors and the wood trim. It looks very fresh. [No photo]

3. The fixtures for the newly expanded restroom have finally arrived. Installation is going rather quickly. The handicapped-accessible sink has yet to be taken out of its box, but the toilet, seat, rail, toilet paper holder, and waste paper box are all in place.

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.