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<div class="ExternalClass84DEAC4754BA4A4C97F8B28C23291F74">As the mother church of the Archdiocese of Toronto, St. Michael's Cathedral has undergone significant restoration over the past several years to maintain its beauty and accessibility as one of the oldest historical buildings in downtown Toronto. Having been closed for several months, the cathedral will be formally rededicated later this week by Cardinal Collins and reopend for worship, sharing the beauty of this huge restoration with all who visit. In the early 1840s, Bishop Michael Power used his own savings and penny collections from the Irish Catholic community to purchase the plot of land for St. Michael's Cathedral. Construction began in 1845 to prepare the foundation with both Catholics and Protestants working side by side for one week excavating 95,000 cubic feet of earth by hand.Today, as part of a larger renewal Master Plan, the project included the stone and masonry conservation of the exterior façade and the 275-foot tower. The original features including pinnacles, finials, and flying buttresses were re-created to restore the spire and tower to their original appearance. Significant structural deterioration of the tower was addressed with the concealed use of reinforced concrete and stainless steel anchoring systems.<img src="/PublishingImages/Blog%20Images/blogrestorationexterior.jpg" alt="" style="margin:5px;width:437px;height:296px;" /> The restoration efforts also ensure the safety and stability of the Cathedral structure. This includes reinforcing the foundations through underpinning, the reinstallation of balcony to expand seating by 250, the creation of the Crypt Chapel (still under construction) to expand seating by and additional 300 seats, the repair and conservation of the exterior masonry and the restoration of the cathedral spire. Construction conditions have been extremely challenging, in large part because more than 60 bodies are buried beneath St. Michael's Cathedral, including Bishop Power, women religious and those instrumental in establishing the cathedral church. Bishop Power died of typhus before the cathedral was completed, having contracted the disease serving Irish immigrants who came by the thousands to Toronto. Expanded washrooms (the original cathedral was built without any washroom facilities) as well as an elevator for those with special needs was also included as part of the restoration efforts.We thank all those who have supported the ongoing restoration work at St. Michael's Cathedral. A special word of gratitude to the men and women who have laboured over thousands of hours these past years to physically restore the church to its original beauty and preserve this historic beacon of prayer and welcome for decades to come.</div>

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WATCH: Cardinal Collins Talking at the Knights of Columbus Conference in Toronto

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