News

The cathedral's new/old look

By Patricia Kasten
Compass Associate Editor

"Everything old is new again."

That old adage could describe the refurbishing under way at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay.

What looks like new sanctuary lights, a new altar, new furniture, new flooring and a new cathedra (the official chair of the bishop), are really renovated or moved from previous areas.

"We were able to use things we already had," explained Bill Calawerts, parish trustee. "We didn't have to buy everything new."

The first thing anyone who has visited the cathedral in the past will notice is the new placement of the tabernacle. Since the renovations after Vatican II, the tabernacle - which houses the reserved Blessed Sacrament - was kept at a side altar. It has now been moved to a new back altar in the sanctuary. This is where it once sat, when the former main altar stood beneath the large crucifixion scene.

"The problem was that nobody could see the tabernacle from the church because of the big pillars," said Msgr. Roy Klister, rector of the cathedral. "Visitors especially would tell us that."

The tabernacle now sits on a wood altar that will be carved with a chalice, host and other symbols of the Eucharist. It is framed by arches that have insert carvings that resemble the arches over the side entry doors' bronze art - the Sermon on the Mount and Christ with the Children. The insides of the arches behind and on either side of the tabernacle are painted blue, cream and gold and these may later be decorated to match the gold on the pillars.

Calawerts said that the main goal of the renovation of the sanctuary area was the prominent placement of the tabernacle. The secondary goal was to make the church appear more as it did in early days. "We're trying to get the feeling of the original church," said Calawerts.

To that end, several changes were made:

• the baptismal font has been moved into the sanctuary;

• the carpeting, which had been bright red and covered the sanctuary and stairs leading to it has been removed, revealing the marble floor beneath;

• a new carpet - colored blue-green to match the rocks in the painting of Golgotha - has been placed under the altar;

• the altar furniture, such as the presider's chair - have been re-stained a dark fruitwood color;

• the sanctuary lights have been moved to pillars on either side of the altar, where they originally hung;

• replacement of the two brass ambos (for readings and proclamation of the gospel) with wood ones;

• the brass stair railing will be replaced with wood;

• the floor-standing, brass candlesticks will be covered with wood sleeves.

While some may think the altar looks new, it is the same marble altar that has been there for several decades. However, as parish member and former sacristan, Sonia Hitt, noticed, "The green tones in the new carpet really pulled out the gold veining in the marble of the altar (making it look new). It's really beautiful."

Also new to the sanctuary, but not really new, is the Bishop's chair: the cathedra. It is the cathedra which gives a cathedral its name. It represents the teaching authority of the bishop.

The new cathedra is really an antique chair that resided in the rectory of St. John the Evangelist Church nearby. It belonged to the family of Bp. Joseph Fox, the fifth bishop of Green Bay (1904-14), and the only native son of the diocese to serve as its bishop. Paul Fox, the bishop's father, was a founding member of the cathedral parish and spearheaded the fund-raising for the proto-cathedral, which was founded in 1851 as St. Mary of the Annunciation. The present cathedral, which stands near where the old St. Mary's did, was consecrated on Nov. 20, 1881.

The Fox family's chair, a large, ornately carved piece, has been re-stained and reupholstered. (Despite rumors, the chair was not originally used as a cathedra.)

The previous cathedra, used for most of the years since Vatican II, will be kept in the Green Bay Diocese Museum, attached to the cathedral.

The side altar, which formerly housed the tabernacle, will be renovated later. Calawerts said that it previously housed a Sacred Heart shrine, but the statue once standing there has been missing for years. The parish hopes to trace its whereabouts. An alternative use for the side altar may be a new home for a statue of St. Francis Xavier, the patron of the diocese and the cathedral, which now stands in a ceiling niche.

The Perpetual Help shrine to the left of the main altar, dedicated after World War I in memory of veterans, will remain as is.

The present renovations to the sanctuary of the cathedral cost $65,000. The entire sum was donated anonymously. The renovations are being done by Ritchie Brothers Studios, Sun Prairie.