Tuesday, March 9, 2010

St. Joseph's Cathedral beautificatiion, Sioux Falls

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There's been a lot of progress made to the St. Joseph's Cathedral. The Catholic Church is undergoing a $16 million makeover and Monday, we got a tour of the inside where the beautification phase is well underway.

Crews began renovating the Cathedral last June, a tall order when you're talking about a 60-foot ceiling.

"It's very exciting. We are at a stage where we can see some of what's coming. The painting, which is part of the beautification. We have some wonderful things to show now," Bishop Paul Swain said.

The bishop is talking about all the detailed paintings in the alter area and at the side stations. They were once all one color, but with labor intensive painting, the church is beginning to show its true colors.

"It really is exciting because it's more than we anticipated. I have had priests who have come in here who served years ago and said, 'I didn't even know that was there.' So the beauty is coming out and what a gift that is," Swain said.

All the wiring and electrical work have been replaced, which was a huge safety concern. With it complete, the Catholic Church will now have air conditioning for the first time, plus the church will be able to stream church services on the internet.

The bishop says all the scaffolding will be out by June and then they can begin the next phase: installing the marble floor. It will come from Italy.

"They'll lay it out there in pieces and then they'll bring it here and put it together in pieces like a jigsaw puzzle, so hopefully their directions are accurate," Swain said.

The work on the Cathedral is expected to be done by the summer of 2011. KELO-TV

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