CHARLOTTE — St. Patrick Cathedral is undergoing critical roof repairs to fix leaks that have caused extensive water damage to the plaster walls inside the 82-year-old structure.
Southern Star Construction started work April 27 on the project, which is expected to take up to two weeks to complete depending on the weather and on nearby road construction that could impact their work.
Besides repairs to the flashing and the seals around the flashing on the roof, the copper gutters will also be repaired around the exterior of the building.
The cathedral’s Mass and confessions schedule will remain unchanged while the work is underway.
The $40,000 repair project is being paid for with funds the cathedral received from the Diocese of Charlotte’s “Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love” campaign. The campaign aimed to provide new funding to parishes and ministries to use as they needed, as well as solidify the diocese’s future through endowments and major capital projects.
“The FFHL diocesan campaign kicked off in 2013 and it is gratifying to see that years later the funds received in that campaign are still having an impact and will continue to have an impact for years to come,” said Jim Kelley, diocesan development director. “The gifts made by the over 15,000 people to that campaign are changing lives and making improvements to parish life.”
Built in 1939, the 400-seat cathedral is a landmark in Charlotte’s Dilworth neighborhood and is home to many important diocesan liturgies throughout the year, including the annual Chrism Mass that welcomes all the priests from across the diocese every Holy Week.
In January 2022, the diocese will mark its 50th anniversary, so Father Christopher Roux, rector, hopes to have the plaster walls repaired and other improvements completed over the course of this year to prepare for upcoming anniversary events.
“Before we do work inside, we have to make sure the building is sealed, so we can go forward with restoration and repairs to the interior,” Father Roux said.
He anticipates opportunities for people across the diocese to contribute to beautifying the cathedral. “This is a parish, but it’s also the (mother) church of the Diocese of Charlotte. We will have some opportunities throughout the year for donations for memorial projects. Anyone who has some resources to donate (towards renovations), we can use that, too.”
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter