145 Lowell Street
Manchester NH 03104
603-622-6404
Cathedral Restoration
2022 - Restoration of the Nave
What seemed as a lofty goal only a couple years ago has now been realized beyond expectations in a very tangible way. After spending the past few years planning this project, raising funds, receiving bids and drawings and then consulting with the real estate board at the diocese, the Cathedral contracted with Swiatek Studios to repair and restore the nave in the Cathedral. Work began in April and ran through August 2022. This work went a long way in restoring the Cathedral to the beauty it rightly deserves as a Cathedral church.
Although the project came with a hefty $750,000 price tag, no fundraising drive or capital campaign was needed. $500,000 came from parish savings and restoration fund donations through 2021. The remaining $250,000 was donated anonymously just prior to and during the restoration work by dedicated parishioners and visitors.
If you are able, and would still like to contribute to the Restoration Fund it is not too late. Additional funding will allow up to make needed, but unscheduled, repairs and improvements - and help us to continue to restore other areas of the church. You may contribute by check using the giving boxes in the church, through our online giving linked below or speak directly with Father Jason. Thank you for your support of the Cathedral Parish!
Ite Ad Joseph
History of the Cathedral and the Restoration Work
In this video, Fr. Jason talks about the history of the Cathedral in Manchester and also about the significance behind some of the restoration work that has been completed. It's not just paint.
See the completed work:
Watch the work in progress:
View the architectural renderings:
How You Can Help
Your help is essential for the continued restoration of the Cathedral to its original architectural splendor, giving us a beautiful, yet reverent place to worship as the Mother Church for the Diocese of Manchester. Please visit our online giving page by clicking on the image below to make your contribution towards the Cathedral Renovation.
2020-2021 Restorations
In January of 2020 we embarked on a few projects that were able to be accomplished with the support of many generous contributors and donors. We restored the façade of the choir loft to highlight the beautiful gothic details of this “choir loft rail,” we painted the columns and brought life to the capitols using colors from the windows, and we stretched our painters as we painted the side aisle trusses to highlight the strength and beauty of the gothic structure. In addition to painting these structural components of the church we tackled the “green monster” and removed the carpeting. Then we installed our new steam boilers, “Fire” and “Brimstone”. Two painted murals were returned to their original place in the arches that flank the main altar. Considering the age, size and limitations that we have to work with, we have slowly persevered in our restoration campaign. And there is more to do, so, in love, we hope, pray, and remain patient.
With these smaller restoration projects completed the largest and probably the most challenging one that awaits was the restoration of the nave ceiling and walls (the nave being the part of the church where the people sit). With the support of Bishop Libasci, we hired Swiatek Studios to assist us with evaluating the condition of the walls and ceiling, and to prepare a full colored rendering of the nave using historic photos from varying periods of the church’s history.
2014 - A Gift Begins the Journey
The original marble Reredos and Stations of the Cross that hung in the Cathedral were both destroyed in the 1969 renovation. However, in 2014, the Cathedral received a gift of the current Raredos and Stations of the Cross from Holy Trinity Church in South Boston. The gift of the Raredos began our efforts to restore the Cathedral to the grandeur foreseen by its architect Patrick Keely began. What made this gift so providential is that the same Architect, Patrick Keely, designed both St. Joseph Cathedral, and Holy Trinity Church in Boston, and as many who have watched the restoration have observed "it is a perfect fit."
