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| Local / State News | ||||
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| September 30, 2004 Edition | ||||
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New spire: To crown St. Raphael Cathedral in MadisonMADISON -- The 90-foot spire on the top of St. Raphael Cathedral will be taken down and replaced with a new one. "The new spire will be closer to the original design," said Msgr. Paul J. Swain, cathedral rector. "It will be well-lighted and stand out in downtown Madison."
The poor condition of the spire necessitated replacing it with materials which will stand the test of time. A new cross will be placed on the top of the spire. A new bell will also be added to the two existing bells. Fiber optic lighting will also be installed. Four windows are being replaced by Conrad Schmitt Studios, Inc., New Berlin. The art glass windows will include a trefoil design representing the Trinity with a circle in the middle. Portal windows and stained glass windows will also be rehabilitated, said Kelly Thompson of Facility Engineering, Inc., of Madison. He is the architect in charge of the project. The St. Raphael cornerstone was laid in 1854; the steeple was added in 1882. "It was a common practice to put the spire on top of the original tower later to complete the entire steeple," said Thompson. Selecting materialsLongevity and maintenance were two main factors in selecting materials for the new spire. "We wanted material that would last as long as possible without maintenance, even up to 100 years," he said. That excluded metal siding and asphalt shingles, which don't last that long. "We decided that stainless steel and copper were the two best selections," said Thompson. The original spire was a silver color. It rusted and then was painted. The original shingles were crafted from unfinished cedar wood in a "dog-eared" pattern. "We will mimic the original ornamental silver galvanized steel of the spire with stainless steel," explained Thompson. "The stamped copper will give a warm feeling and will be made in the shape of the original wood shingles with the same texture and color. The contrast in materials will accentuate the ornamentation and feeling of vertical movement." The core and structure will be steel and fire-treated woods. New cross on topThe new budded cross will be 10 feet tall, matching that of the existing Latin cross. It will sit on a globe which is three feet in diameter. There will be a sleeve -- like a thimble -- below the globe which will cap the spire. Collectively, the ornament is about 17 feet tall. The cross and sleeve are being made of gold-plated copper, much like the material used to create Miss Forward on the state Capitol building, noted Thompson. The sleeve will be unfinished copper. The cross will have three trefoils on each arm. The trefoil pattern is being used on other elements in the spire design. The budded cross design placed upon a globe or orb is a common design seen in classical Christian architecture and most likely was the design of the original cross ornament. This was corroborated with historic photos of the cathedral. Clock restorationThe face of the clock on the steeple is being replaced and clock numbers fixed. "We're powder-coating the clock faces, a painting process similar to that of long-lasting vehicle finishes," said Thompson. Stainless steel hands will replace the old wooden ones; stainless steel raised Roman numerals will be installed in lieu of the existing hand-painted numerals. "The current ornamentation is in bad shape," observed Thompson. "It's falling apart." However, the existing black cast-iron finials located at the upper dormers are being salvaged and used on the new spire. They will be cleaned and gold-plated. The original spire was built off-site and then applied on the cathedral, Thompson noted. "Some of the metals didn't fit well. These ill-fitting metals leaked and caused long-term deterioration." This time ornamental components should fit well, given that the manufacturing process will take into account the existing field conditions, unlike the original fabrication. Construction plansThe spire components are being fabricated at Heather & Little in Toronto, Canada, and Vulcan Supply in Burlington, Vt. The pieces will be put on trucks and shipped to Madison during the first couple weeks of October. The two companies started working on the parts in June of this year. "I visited both shops in July and September. Their progress and craftsmanship are impressive," said Thompson. On Sept. 22, Monsignor Swain and Thompson went to Vermont to review progress and see the new cross and ornamental. They were pleased with the work. The general contractor, JH Findorff & Son, Inc., of Madison, will be taking the old spire down piece by piece starting the week of Oct. 4. "While the existing spire is being disassembled, the contractor will be assembling the new spire in two parts in the cathedral parking lot," said Thompson. The entire process is expected to take four to six weeks. With the assistance of cranes, the assembled spire will be placed on the existing tower in two large sections. The cross will be put on last. The new fiber optic lighting features 128 tiny light fixtures made of stainless steel and mounted on the spire. The lamping or bulbs are located inside the spire for easy access, noted Thompson. "The spire has a series of ladders inside to use in maintaining the lamping." Will have three bellsA new bell will join the two existing bells in the belfry. "The contractor will take the old bells down and rehabilitate them," said Thompson. Supporting equipment such as the clockworks, hammers, and controls will be rehabilitated and modernized. The bells will be visible through an open belfry, unlike before. "People will see the bells and hear them more clearly," noted Thompson. Thompson is excited about the project. "I've never had the opportunity to design such a significant spire replacement. It's a unique opportunity for the manufacturers, too. Although they've done work all over the American and European Continents, neither one has done this scale of complete replacement."
Catechists: Commissioned at Centro Guadalupano
MADISON -- A Catechetical Sunday Mass was held at the Catholic Multicultural Center recently. During the Mass, Spanish-speaking women and men were commissioned in their role as catechists at Centro Guadalupano. The Office for Hispanic Ministry started the religious education program at Centro Guadalupano 26 years ago to meet the demand for classes in Spanish. Two catechists teach in each grade level from kindergarten to seventh, as well as in Confirmation classes and adult classes. Classes are held Saturday afternoons and average 20 participants. Sessions start in September and end with a First Communion Mass in May. Using giftsFr. Abdón Ortiz from Bolivia celebrated the Catechetical Sunday Mass with approximately 150 people attending. During the homily, Father Ortiz explained how each person has a special gift and how important it is to share that gift with others. The catechists will share their gifts with their students and with great courage, he said. During the presentation of the gifts, a student from each grade level brought the new catechism materials to the altar to be blessed. CommissioningSurrounded by parents and religious education students, catechists were given a special blessing and were thanked for their commitment for sharing the Good News with others. Each catechist came to the front and was presented with a crucifix for all the sacrifices they make, a Holy Spirit pin to signify wisdom, and a certificate commissioning them. A mini-fair followed in the basement of the center where families could purchase religious education materials. Catechist Maria Cristina Vergara said they were excellent bilingual materials. Getting startedThe Diocese of Madison Office of Religious Education worked with Centro Guadalupano catechists to help them better understand the diocesan standards and competencies for grade levels K-8 and invited them as teachers to be able to work with those competencies in order to build curriculum around them. "We helped them befriend the competencies so that they were working with what we think in the diocese are the basics that young people should know and understand regarding their faith," said Jack McBride, associate director of the Office of Religious Education. "The catechists did some lesson planning using the competencies as an example of how helpful they are and then we got their opinion back and unanimously they thought they were a good guide and a good foundation for teachers to first look at and then to build curriculum around. "We also talked to them about handing them to parents so the parents knew what was expected at that grade level and could work with those kids at home," McBride said. McBride trained the religious education teachers with the help of Romilia Schlueter, director of Centro Guadalupano, who translated the diocesan religious education standards into Spanish for the catechists through the use of headphone equipment. Goals for programSchlueter explained that while the religious education program at Centro is a diocesan program, the hope is that it will spread to individual parishes in the diocese. "We want to let parishes know the demand there is for Catholics in Spanish," said Schlueter. There are currently programs at Holy Redeemer and St. Joseph Parishes in Madison and in Watertown, Schlueter noted. "The hope is we don't need to do it at the center but parishes will have resources to provide religious education for children who speak Spanish. The long term goal is to have a program at every parish with Hispanics families." Anyone interested in teaching at Centro Guadalupano is invited to participate. The program is bilingual and people from all parishes are needed to help. Contact Romilia Schlueter at 608-255-8471; the Office of Religious Education at 821-3160; or the Office of Hispanic Ministry at 608-821-3092.
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