April, 2025
Dear Friends and Supporters of the Rebuilding Our Church Campaign,
Much has been happening since January with Cathedral Renewal. Now that Phase 1 is complete, the urgency of Phases 2 and 3 is coming into focus.
Phase 2: Towers and North Façade
This phase will involve the most intense and technically challenging work of the Cathedral Renewal, since it will impact the iconic face of Holy Rosary Cathedral.
As mentioned in Update #18, after a thorough structural engineering assessment, JCK Engineering has advised that the spires have reached the end of their service life.
Structural engineer Brad Taylor has further investigated the condition inside the steeples and is seeing their deterioration accelerate as moisture and weather infiltrate through the metal cladding and rot the wood structure underneath.
After exploring various options, JCK Engineering recommends that the most cost-effective and efficient way to renew the steeples is to pre-fabricate new ones, and to use a crane to remove the existing spires and hoist the replacements into place. This would eliminate the need for extensive scaffolding to the top of the spires.
The design work for the steeple replacement portion of Phase 2 is underway and should be complete by early summer.
Steeple replacement, in addition to repair of the belfries, rose window and masonry on the north façade, is estimated to cost $5M.
We are reaching out to church and business community leaders, in the hopes that there will be champions who are able to support this work at a significant level.
Phase 3: Infrastructure and Lower Level Renewal
Due to increasing urgency, the time to look at failing cathedral infrastructure is now. One of Holy Rosary’s 4 aging boilers failed in December, 2024. Fortunately there were salvaged parts available to rebuild it this time. It would be far more efficient and cost-effective to make boiler and heating system upgrades in a planned way rather than on an emergency basis in a cold winter.
Holy Rosary’s heating, electrical and ventilation systems, as well as sanitary pipes, are beyond their service life. While the lower level is torn apart to make these replacements and repairs, we have the chance to reconstruct the hall, kitchen and washrooms in order to comply with building codes and better serve archdiocesan and parish gatherings.
The estimated cost of Phase 3 is $4M. Archbishop Don has allocated $500,000 left over from Phase 1 to this phase, so the net amount needed is in the range of $3.5M.
Holy Rosary parishioners and friends of the cathedral across the archdiocese are being invited to support this work.
The thoughts of one young couple about Holy Rosary Cathedral are HERE.
Why now?
Because design development work for Phase 3 should be complete sometime this summer, it’s essential that the Project Working Group and Project Steering Committee know by that time what resources are available. If enough gifts and 5-year pledges are received, they can plan for full implementation. If not, they will have to leave important work undone.
Download the pre-campaign gift chart showing the variety of gifts needed HERE.
Donations and pledges of any size can be made HERE.
Here is a photo from this week showing the demolition of 110-year-old Holy Rosary School next to the cathedral. Our goal is to ensure that Holy Rosary Cathedral gets the care and repair needed to stand and serve our archdiocesan faith community into the next century.
Looking forward to Easter with hope,
Your Campaign Team
Archbishop Don Bolen, Lisa Polk, Michelle Sanche, John Dipple, Mo Bundon, Samy McCarthy, Garth Herbert and James Lipoth
P.S. Feel free to contact us if you have questions or comments: [email protected]
P.P.S. You can find past updates here: https://rebuildingourchurch.ca/blog/2021/02/27/campaign-news-and-updates