Repairs progressing at St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica

Repairs are underway to the dome of St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica, Beaumont that was damaged during Hurricane Ike.  Currently the top of the Cathedral Basilica is wrapped in a white tent, protecting the Mother Church from the weather.

The storm ripped the metal sheeting and the century-old planks of the Cathedral Basilica's dome collar opening the Cathedral Basilica to the elements and allowing damage to the pews and floor 80 feet below.

“During Hurricane Rita, it was the dome that was damaged, but during Ike, it was the collar the dome sits on that took the high velocity of the wind,” said Father Jerry McGrath, rector of the Cathedral Basilica.

“The collar's four magenta glass windows and its louvers, save for one of the eight louvers, were blown out. This allowed wind to sweep through the Cathedral Basilica and water to soak inside of our Diocese's sacred Mother Church,” Father McGrath said.

Ike's winds also ripped off the bell tower coverings, pulled away the stained glass window fascia, blew off ceramic roof tiles, blew in the rosette window of St. Gregory the Great in the choir loft, put a massive crack in the gold etched 12 foot window of Apostle St. Andrew on the left bell tower, and damaged the roof tops of the other buildings on the Cathedral Basilica campus.

Repair plans have been developing over the past weeks.  Workers have installed canvas tarps and built scaffolding around the dome's collar. A large tent has been installed over the basilica's dome and collar so that workers can take down tarps, remove what is left of the damaged copper sheeting, strip the collar to its frame and begin to rebuild it.