COVINGTON — For the next eight months, parishioners at Covington's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption will worship at a nearby church, while their century-old place of worship receives a $4.7 million overhaul.

        The French Gothic-style cathedral, a prominent tourist attraction in downtown Covington, will be rededicated on Dec. 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

        Until then, the 515 families who normally attend Masses at the cathedral will worship at St. John Church, 627 Pike St.

At the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Fernando Ventura (left) and Alfonso Vasquez dispose of sections of wooden risers from under pews. (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

        “I think it's a unique opportunity to discover that we are a church as a community, that we don't need a building,” said Jim O'Leary, the cathedral's parish council president.

        Currently, Masses are offered at St. John Church at 4:30 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday. Starting this Sunday, three Masses will be added — at 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., as well as a Mass celebrated in Spanish at 12:15 p.m.

        Despite the temporary inconvenience, the Rev. Douglas Fortner, pastor of St. John Church and St. Ann Church in Covington, hopes to make the new worshipers feel welcome.

        “We're putting a little flyer in the bulletin this week, saying "Welcome. We're glad to have you,'” he said. “There also are supposed to be people at each of those masses welcoming the people from the cathedral.”

        The cathedral's first renovation in 50 years will move the main altar 23 feet closer to worshipers, or the transept where the two main aisles meet, said Bill Brown, the project architect and a liturgical design consultant. The antique marble altar will replace a temporary altar being used for the celebra tion of the Eucharist.

        The altar platform will be lowered from eight steps to five, and the raised area of the sanctuary where the altar is located will have three ramps installed for worshipers with physical disabilities, Mr. Brown said. The newly repaired pews will be flush with the floor.

        Other improvements in clude cleaning and repairing the cathedral's stained glass windows, placing the baptistry in the Madison Avenue entrance, installing kneelers, upgrading the lighting, sound, electrical, plumbing and security systems, installing air conditioning, and servicing the pipe organs.

        A video explaining the project has been shown on local cable TV, and copies were sent to parishes in the diocese in February.

        Bishop Robert Muench of the Diocese of Covington said the changes will make the cathedral more inspirational and give it a cleaner, brighter look.
       

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