Cathedral Renovation
136 Years in Vancouver!
The presence of a permanent Catholic Church in Downtown Vancouver began in 1885. After some great sacrifices by the first Catholic settlers they built a church in the site of the present rectory. In 1899 seeing that the small wooden church was insufficient for the growing Catholic population the parish began the building of the current Church. The Church of the Holy Rosary opened for services on December 9, 1900, less than two years after construction began. This magnificent Gothic Revival building has not seen any major structural work done since it was opened. There has been some cosmetic work of course, but nothing to ensure that this beautiful building will be around for future generations. The work ahead will be challenging, but it will protect the heritage and the future ministry of the Church in Vancouver’s busy downtown core.
The Cathedral is ready for a seismic upgrade and for some needed maintenance. Currently the we are working with developers and with the City of Vancouver to see what can be done, and how to better preserve the heritage that has been handed to us.
