PATERSON The historic renovation and restoration of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is poised to enter the third and final phase of the project in the coming months.
An overview of the work completed and that which still needs to be done was presented to the Diocesan Finance Council and the Presbyteral Council by Dennis Rodano, diocesan project manager, and Rebeca Ruiz-Ulloa, diocesan architect, at two separate meetings held recently in the cathedral’s chapel while workers continued to complete the second phase of the project on the exterior of the cathedral.
Bishop Serratelli told those gathered for the meetings that this was “an historical moment for the Diocese. The restoration of the cathedral and the funds being expended for it are significant in this time in the history of our Church, when our religious freedoms are being challenged again and again. This restoration of our cathedral in one of the poorest areas of our state shows that we are committed to stay and will never retreat from city or from our mission to preach the Word of God and to evangelize in all we do.”
Both the Finance Council and the Presbyteral Council voted unanimously to move forward with the final phase of the project and have the Diocese award the contract to Zucchi & Sons as the general contractor at a cost of $7.073 million. The cost of the final phase contract brings the known cost of the restoration and renovations to $14.9 million, of which 70-75 percent of the cost went to immediate life safety concerns while the remaining 25-30 percent was earmarked for design elements.
The final phase, according to Rodano, “is the most complex stage since it involves interior work from the foundation to the ceiling and everything in between.” Once the final phase of the project begins, it is estimated to be completed in the fall of 2016.
The final phase will entail: stabilizing column footings which have been compromised over the decades; making the floor and choir loft structurally sound; replacing the entire plaster ceiling; installing a fire alarm system; bringing the electrical and lighting up to code; installing a limited use, limited access lift to the choir loft; adding two restrooms and relocating/renovating four restrooms for compliance; ensuring a barrier free entrance in the north courtyard; and the reconfiguration of the worship space by returning the altar to the front of the cathedral and creating additional seating for the faithful.
The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, which was dedicated on July 31, 1870, has been closed since the fall of 2010 when a portion of the ceiling fell. “Numerous investigations were conducted to determine the extent of the issues that caused this, said Rodano. “The reports detailed a sizeable list of issues that we would need to address in order to reopen the cathedral. We then conducted a preliminary planning phase to determine the financial resources required to correct the deficiencies.”
Initial estimates that relied on limited visual inspections and preliminary structural testing/analysis projected the cost of repairs at $8 million, which included renovations that would make the roof trusses, flooring and choir loft structurally sound; repairing the damaged flooring; replacing the plaster ceiling and bringing electricity and lighting up to code as well as fixing exterior masonry. But as work on the first phase and then on the second phase on the cathedral’s exterior went on, more issues arose that had to be addressed. “We have engaged professionals to conduct both physical inspections and structural analyses to ensure that the program being implemented is the best use of our resources,” said Rodano. The first phase involved the tightening of truss connections; the installation of catwalks; the cleaning of the attic of debris from prior projects. The second phase, delayed by the bad weather during the winter, included the tower repointing; additional stone repairs, including the partial chimney demolition to the roofline and capping it, and grouting at top decks of the bell tower.
The cathedral’s restoration was one of the major case elements that were part of the Diocese’s 2012-13 Partners in Faith Capital and Endowment Campaign, with a minimum goal of $8 million to be raised for the cathedral repairs. Work on the cathedral ceased while the campaign was being conducted.
Partners in Faith successfully raised more than $61 million in pledges to be redeemed over the next few years by faithful and committed parishioners across the diocese. As campaign pledges continue to be met, Patrick Brennan, the Diocese’s Chief Finance Officer, projected that “Partners in Faith will generate at least $9.4 million for the cathedral’s repairs.”
“The generosity of the diocesan faithful to the Partners in Faith campaign allowed us to restart the planning of the cathedral renovation project in December 2013,” said Rodano. “Since then we have spent a great deal of time conducting detailed investigations of various elements of our cathedral and an equally substantial period of time developing a very detailed set of plans and specifications.
Brennan told the Finance Council and Presbyteral Council that “the funding gap after Partner in Faith pledges are met will be approximately $5.5 million (based on the cathedral’s anticipated restoration cost of $14.9 million).”
That amount, Brennan said, “can come from additional funding sources, including the Paterson Catholic Mission Fund (created after the sale of the Paterson Catholic property to the state in May).”
At the meeting with the Finance Council, Lori Hricik-DelGuercio, chairperson, praised the work being done by diocesan staff to ensure that the cathedral’s restoration “is being accomplished with every attention to detail and with the best use of its resources.”