July 18, 2017
This evening Londoners will have the opportunity to hear The Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, England. Thanks to a generous donor, the total ticket sales purchased for this concert, and any donations above the $20 ticket price, will be matched up to $10,000. This is a perfect opportunity to let your contribution to Project Jericho go twice as far!
We thank the London Free Press for this wonderful article about the concert:
Trinity Choir Cambridge to perform in aid of St. Paul’s Cathedral
June 23, 2017
We thank the Anglican Journal for sharing news of Project Jericho and the work to repair St. Paul's Cathedral.
London, Ont., cathedral open again following repairs
June 7, 2017
St. Paul's is the place to be on Sunday evening! 250 musicians will be performing in support of Project Jericho and repairs to the roof trusses of London's oldest church. Walter Gretzky will be hosting the evening - there'll be a meet-and-greet, reception and silent auction starting at 6pm, concert at 7pm. Do join us for this incredible evening!
Many, many thanks to all those who have worked so hard to organize this epic event, and to everyone who is donating their time and talents. Learn more about the generous sponsors and participants here: https://tinyurl.com/y74hdv3k
We thank the London Free Press for helping to publicize what is sure to be a fabulous community event. Read more about it here: Musicians raise roof in support of church
May 11, 2017
Return to the Cathedral on May14th!
The Bishop-in-Charge and Wardens of St Paul’s Cathedral are pleased to announce that we are returning to the Cathedral for our worship service this Sunday, May 14th, 2017. You are cordially invited to join with us in this welcome and long-awaited joyous celebration.
Please note that we will gather in Cronyn Hall for the beginning of the service this Sunday, as we have been doing since November 20th, 2016, before processing into the Cathedral.
May 5, 2017
At last there is a light at the end of the tunnel! All the steel truss stabilization brackets have been installed and the final inspection by the engineer has taken place. Shores and scaffolding have been removed. The floor openings have been patched, the pews are being reinstalled, and professional cleaning is underway, preparing the Cathedral to be opened for normal use. The cosmetic work is yet to be addressed.
If you are able to assist in the replacing of our liturgical books, and other helpful tasks to prepare the cathedral for our return, please let Gord Rolleston know via the church office.
Many thanks to all who have helped in so many ways over the past 2 years, with your time, talents, generosity and prayers. Fundraising continues, as the final bills for the structural work must still be paid. Your ongoing support is deeply appreciated.
April 3, 2017
The community at the Cathedral is deeply grateful to the staff at Campus Creative, who have created a short video "St. Paul's Cathedral: A Worshiping Community" in support of Project Jericho and St. Paul's.
St. Paul's Cathedral, one of London, Ontario's most prominent historical buildings, is in the midst of a $700,000 project to repair and restore the roof. Bishop Barry Clarke talks about the effect of this project on the worshiping community at the Cathedral, and what this building means to the city of London.
March 23, 2017
This article by James Reaney was published in LondonFuse, a not-for-profit organization that promotes art, lifestyle and culture in London, Ontario and beyond. Thank you for your support of Project Jericho and St. Paul's!
Have You Heard About the Best Mugs and Marmalade in London?
March 10, 2017
We are thankful the damage to the truss ends was discovered before any more time had passed, and that it's possible to make structural repairs so that the Cathedral will stand for generations to come. Every donation to assist with the work is deeply appreciated, and we are grateful for everyone's continued support and prayers. (Photo Credit: Robertson Restoration)
March 5, 2017
Work to repair the trusses and reinforce the joints of the queen posts supporting St. Paul’s roof is progressing well, thanks to Robertson Restoration. It has been a challenge for workers to get the heavy steel brackets in place, however we’re happy to report that all of the five trusses now have had upper brackets installed, and about half have had bearing brackets installed. The brackets will be painted to look like the wood grain so they blend into the hammer beam construction of the trusses themselves. The tension ties are reinforcing the trusses while the repair work continues.
There is still work to be done on this complex project—we thank the parishes of the Diocese of Huron and friends from near and far for their continued prayers and support.
Photos from Robertson Restoration: 1) Before the steel is cut, workers create a template for each bracket--this one is to be installed on a queen post; 2) Queen post bracket installed; 3) A template for a bearing bracket installation on the truss; 4) Cutting and assembling the bracket; 5) Bearing bracket installed, with view of the truss end--it extends well into the brick of the wall; 6) view from above of a bearing bracket; 7) Bracket installed and painted, with temporary tension tie.
February 27, 2017
Work is progressing apace, and the community at St. Paul's hopes to be back in the Cathedral by Easter. We will be sharing more photos in the coming days. Meanwhile, we greatly appreciate the support of the London Free Press and our fellow Londoners.
St. Paul's Hopes for Resurrection
February 9, 2017
Robertson Restoration has installed the temporary tension cable ties on truss 3 and are working on truss 5 followed by truss 4, 1 and 2. These are necessary to provide the additional support along with the 20 shores for the repair work to continue on the joints and truss ends. The steel plates to stabilize the joints will blend into the wood and will not be noticeable so we're very happy with this news. We do not have a definitive date when we'll be back in the Nave and Chancel but we are hoping to return at Easter. Once the repair is completed, inspections need to be done, the 25 shores will then be removed, and the pews put back in place in the centre of the Nave. A thorough cleaning of the church will also need to be done. The good news is we're over halfway through this project and all the bills to date have been paid. We are so thankful that Project Jericho has received almost $300,000 in less than a year! Many thanks for your continued support and prayers.
February 8, 2017
London filmmaker Juan Andres Bello of Triana Media has created a short film in support of St. Paul's Cathedral and Project Jericho. We thank Juan for his generosity, for sharing a glimpse of our Cathedral with the community at large, and for helping to raise awareness of the ongoing work to repair and maintain this beautiful, historic building that serves as a cornerstone of our city.
January 20, 2017
The community of St. Paul's Cathedral is deeply grateful for the heartfelt support that has been offered by the people of the Diocese of Huron. Your prayers and encouragement, kind words and gestures are deeply appreciated.
This article was published on the Diocese of Huron website on January 17, 2017:
Renewed Hope for St. Paul's Cathedral
December 16, 2016
We’re relieved that all 20 shores have been installed, and just in time for winter’s first snow. The next step is to install the tension ties as this is an important part of our temporary restraining design to provide stability for the wooden trusses that support the Cathedral’s roof. Once these ties are in place, the reinforcing of the truss ends and joints with steel plates can proceed. It is expected the repair work on the trusses themselves will resume in early January 2017. Thank you for your continued prayers and support.
(Photo Credit: John Sproule)
December 1, 2016
The community at St. Paul's deeply appreciates the support of Bishop Linda and the parishes of the Diocese of Huron.
Please see Bishop Linda's video appeal, here: “Now our Cathedral needs our help”.
November 24, 2016
An Update to the Parishioners of St Paul’s Cathedral:
While this change in direction will increase the costs for Project Jericho, the increase will not be significant, which is good news for us. Once the steel shores are in place to support the bottom chords (the horizontal beams spanning the nave), Robertson Restoration can continue with reinforcing all the truss ends, on both the north and south sides, and other joints with steel plates and iron fasteners to create a safe space for worship.
The engineering firm Strik Baldinelli Moniz (SBM) will continue to monitor the trusses during these repairs and afterwards to make sure no further issues arise.
The plan is to install the additional shores by mid-December with the repairs resuming after that for about 4-6 weeks. The Cathedral’s leadership is optimistic this will stop any further deterioration and are confident the work can proceed in a timely fashion.
Even though worship services will continue in Cronyn Hall until at least the end of January 2017, we have come together with a renewed energy. Wherever we worship for Christmas, we will be with family and Cronyn Hall will look beautiful, the liturgy will inspire, and the music will be uplifting. There is a vitality about the place, and the outpouring of support from you, other churches, and the community has been heart warming.
God has been faithful to this community of faith for over 170 years, and by God's grace we will get through this.
November 21, 2016
We thank fellow Londoners for their concern and generosity as we work to preserve the Cathedral. Worship services at St. Paul's have moved to Cronyn Hall temporarily. We will provide updates as soon as possible. Thank you for your continued support and prayers.
CTV News London: Safety Concerns Force the Closure of St. Paul's Cathedral in Downtown London
November 20, 2016
The congregation of St. Paul's Cathedral is still gathering to praise God, worshipping in Cronyn Hall. We are blessed to have support from our church family and fellow Londoners as we work to save the Cathedral. If you wish to make a donation it would be graciously received.
London Free Press: St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral Ordered Closed Over Structural Concerns
November 19, 2016
To the Parishioners of St Paul’s Cathedral:
It is with deep concern that we write to you. Recent inspections at the Cathedral in regard to the truss repairs have revealed some alarming results. Robertson Restoration has been doing prep work on the trusses closest to the Great West doors and discovered there is severe damage to the truss ends such that the wood is more rotted than anticipated and splitting/cracking has occurred putting additional pressure on the internal structure and supports on the wall. The shores are meant to support the vertical load but this recent development is putting pressure on the horizontal bottom chord as well. At this time, the truss stability is compromised.
Therefore, Bishop Barry Clarke, Melissa Broadfoot, and John Sproule (Wardens) have made the difficult decision to close the Cathedral until further notice and with immediate effect.
Sunday services will be held in Cronyn Hall starting Nov 20th.
Safety is our primary concern and we believe the church, and the chancel, is not safe right now. Please do not go into the church because you are curious; there’s nothing to see.
St Aidan’s Chapel will host services as normal as that area is believed to be safe.
Bishop Barry and the Wardens will be meeting with the engineer and Gord Rolleston on Tuesday, November 22, to get a better understanding of our next steps. It will be a priority to provide further support for the trusses before repairs can continue.
It is anticipated the church will be unsafe for the foreseeable future but we will provide an update after the Wardens’ Meeting.
The engineer will need to consider how best to carry out the work so we can continue to try to support the roof. We don’t have a lot of information at this time to offer you but are committed to keeping you informed of this serious new development.
Please continue to keep the Cathedral’s leadership and Project Jericho in your prayers.
October 31, 2016Work to stabilize the trusses in the Nave of St. Paul's continues, albeit off-site for the time being. The contractor's team is currently fabricating the steel components that are to be installed on three areas of each of the 6 trusses (as shown in areas A, B and C of the technical drawing attached), to repair and reinforce the beams.
Many thanks for everyone's continued generosity, encouragement and prayers.
September 18, 2016
You can read the newsletter here.
September 8, 2016
Thank you for your continued prayers and support!
August 31, 2016
Meanwhile, Bishop Barry and the Wardens at St. Paul’s just recently received recommendations from the engineer regarding what’s required to strengthen and stabilize the trusses in the Nave, and have been in discussion with the contractor about how this is to be carried out. More updates soon regarding next steps.
August 12, 2016
London Free Press: Historic St. Paul's Cathedral fighting to keep its walls from tumbling down
August 1, 2016
Scaffolding and window covers have been removed from outside the Nave of St. Paul's as the guttering and downspouts in those areas have been repaired. Next on the list is the guttering on the Chancel. You'll still be able to enter from the Clarence Street door while work is going on. Soon more scaffolding will be going up on the inside of the Nave, to start work on the trusses. The building is still safe to use at this time and we’re open for worship and events, as ever.
Let’s keep the conversation going. Please share your stories, your memories, and your passion for St. Paul’s. You’re part of our history so let’s embrace the past and look forward to the future with anticipation, hope, and love.