St Patrick’s Cathedral revamp underway
Camil Parkhe
Thursday, December 03rd, 2009 AT 5:12 PM
Tags: Pune, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Thomas Dabre
The 159-year-old St Patrick’s Cathedral, an important city landmark, is undergoing major renovation
PUNE: The 159-year-old St Patrick’s Cathedral, one of the oldest churches in western Maharashtra, is undergoing make over and is expected to don a new look by March, next year.
The renovation work of the cathedral, the headquarters of Pune Catholic Pune diocese, was formally inaugurated by Pune Bishop Thomas Dabre and bishop emeritus Valerian D’Souza on September 8, the feast of Mother Mary. The actual repairs and renovation work, however, began only recently.
The cathedral had undergone major repairs 25 years ago when the entire roof of the church had collapsed.
Speaking to Sakaal Times, Fr Malcolm Sequeira, rector of the cathedral, said that much of the repairs of the historic structure were deferred in the past due to various reasons. Now the repairs were urgently needed to prevent further damages to the structure which is an important city landmark, he said.
A committee of some members of St Patrick’s parish has been formed to assist in the renovation project. These parishioners, who are experts in construction field, include civil engineers Brig Eustace D’Costa, Captain Renaldo Sequeira, architects Richard Pereira and Shweta Sequeira, and interior designer Stanley Fernandes.
Fr Sequeira said that the cathedral’s complete renovation including interiors is expected to cost over Rs 80 lakh. As the cathedral is one and half centuries old, it is difficult to estimate the exact damages to this structure and so the cathedral authorities say that the actual cost may rise further as the repairs go on.
Fr Sequeira has appealed to the parish’s faithful and others to contribute towards meeting the renovation cost. Besides, various fund raising activities have also been planned.
The cathedral incidentally will enter its 160th year celebration next week. The first mass at the religious shrine was celebrated on December 8, 1950. The construction of the church had then cost Rs 22,000. A major portion of this amount was raised through donation from Catholic soldiers posted in this area.
Camil Parkhe
Thursday, December 03rd, 2009 AT 5:12 PM
Tags: Pune, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Thomas Dabre
The 159-year-old St Patrick’s Cathedral, an important city landmark, is undergoing major renovation
PUNE: The 159-year-old St Patrick’s Cathedral, one of the oldest churches in western Maharashtra, is undergoing make over and is expected to don a new look by March, next year.
The renovation work of the cathedral, the headquarters of Pune Catholic Pune diocese, was formally inaugurated by Pune Bishop Thomas Dabre and bishop emeritus Valerian D’Souza on September 8, the feast of Mother Mary. The actual repairs and renovation work, however, began only recently.
The cathedral had undergone major repairs 25 years ago when the entire roof of the church had collapsed.
Speaking to Sakaal Times, Fr Malcolm Sequeira, rector of the cathedral, said that much of the repairs of the historic structure were deferred in the past due to various reasons. Now the repairs were urgently needed to prevent further damages to the structure which is an important city landmark, he said.
A committee of some members of St Patrick’s parish has been formed to assist in the renovation project. These parishioners, who are experts in construction field, include civil engineers Brig Eustace D’Costa, Captain Renaldo Sequeira, architects Richard Pereira and Shweta Sequeira, and interior designer Stanley Fernandes.
Fr Sequeira said that the cathedral’s complete renovation including interiors is expected to cost over Rs 80 lakh. As the cathedral is one and half centuries old, it is difficult to estimate the exact damages to this structure and so the cathedral authorities say that the actual cost may rise further as the repairs go on.
Fr Sequeira has appealed to the parish’s faithful and others to contribute towards meeting the renovation cost. Besides, various fund raising activities have also been planned.
The cathedral incidentally will enter its 160th year celebration next week. The first mass at the religious shrine was celebrated on December 8, 1950. The construction of the church had then cost Rs 22,000. A major portion of this amount was raised through donation from Catholic soldiers posted in this area.
