By Bryn Hadubiak

Renovations for 100-year-old cathedral finished

May 21, 2014 | 6:47 AM

Although nearly $1 million renovations to the century-old, re-opened, Sacred Heart Cathedral in Prince Albert are complete, fundraising to cover the cost isn’t.

Repairs and renovations were extensive. All of the cathedral’s stained-glass windows were re-sealed inside and outside the building, and the leaking roof was repaired.

New steps with steel rebar at the entrance were installed, along with a fresh coat of paint for the ceiling, and a new carpet, baptismal font, sound system and furnace.

“Our basic plan funded about $700,000, and we’re done with that, but the thing is, extra costs happened during the renovations,” said Rev. Matthew Nguyen, rector of the cathedral.

“The Diocese loaned the money for us – about $200,000. So now we’re doing fundraising to return the money back to the Diocese,” he explained.

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The cathedral was closed for nearly seven months, and masses were held in the basement and at the auditorium at Rivier Academy High School. It re-opened on Holy Thursday this year, just before Easter.

Last year, the parish organized a committee to put together a set of cookbooks to help cover the costs of the renovations of the cathedral, said Rev. Maurice Fiolleau, vicar general of the Diocese.

“It took us about 10 months to put the cookbooks together,” said Fiolleau. “Since October, we’ve sold about $48,000 worth of cookbooks, giving us about an $11,000 profit after the printing costs were paid.”

The two cookbooks are still available, coming as a set for $35 with recipes from across the Diocese, and they also have many historical pictures, he said.

To celebrate the re-opening, the cathedral is hosting a “tour and taste” on May 25, said Fiolleau. People will be able to tour the building and see the renovations, and try food samples made from the recipes in the cookbooks.

“It’s basically a thank you for the people who have supported us during the renovation campaign, and especially for buying the cookbooks,” said Fiolleau.

On June 20, there will be a big celebration for the cathedral’s centennial, with a mass at 6:30 p.m.

news@panow.com

On Twitter: @brynhadubiak