Cathedral restoration campaign passes initial goal — but there is still work to be done
by Maura Baker, Staff Writer
The “Restored in Christ” campaign to restore and pre- serve the historic Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington, has recently reached an important fundraising milestone for the project.
The campaign has passed its initial goal of 6 million dollars, as of the week of June 28, with $6,020,917 from 1,892 donors. This total covers the estimated cost of most of the Cathedral’s restoration work — focusing on the stone and masonry. However, fundraising for the project is not yet complete, as Jim Hess, director, Stewardship and Mission, reported. “As they begin this kind of work on a historic building,” said Mr. Hess, “another 6 million could easily be used.”
As contractors are lofted above Cathedral gardens and Madison Avenue, more much-needed work on the Cathedral has been identified. One notable example is the tracing and lead elements of the iconic stained glass windows — which show wear on the seams and concrete pieces in the middle parts of the windows.
“So, even though we’ve reached our goal of 6 million,” said Mr. Hess, “we can’t necessarily be completely done trying to get gifts for the Cathedral because there is still work that needs to be done.”
Mr. Hess said that the majority of gifts towards the Cathedral were of $250 or less, with some being gifted as pledges of an estimated $4 per month. “Anybody can sacri- fice a cup of coffee a month to make a significant gift to the Cathedral,” he said.
“One thing I really want to stress is that I want to thank donors over and over again,” Mr. Hess continued, saying, “I think it’s a beautiful sign that the diocese was able to come together in this way to restore and preserve the Cathedral. It took a whole diocese to build, and now takes a whole diocese to maintain.”
More information on the Restored in Christ campaign, as well as information on how to contribute, can be found online at https://covcathedral.com/restored-in-christ/.
