COVINGTON — The Tristate's only Roman Catholic Basilica welcomed back 900 worshipers Saturday after the completion of an eight-month, $4.7 million renovation.

The new look of the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption. (Brandi Stafford photo) | ZOOM |

        “One hundred years of grime has been removed, and 1,200 square feet of glass has been cleaned,” said Tim Fitzgerald, spokesman for the Diocese of Covington.

        “It is marvelous what has been done on a relatively small budget in a short period of time by a small and dedicated group of artisans.”

        The Rev. John Cahill, basilica rector, declared the renovation of the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption a success, and he thanked donors to the capital campaign, which paid for the renovations.

        Covington Bishop Robert W. Muench attended the private ceremony.

INFOGRAPHIC

Inside-outside look at the Basilica 800 pixels | 1024 pixels (300K) | (460K)

        Improvements include installing air conditioning, washing the exterior limestone, restoring the famed stained-glass windows and making the facility handicap-accessible.

        The Cathedral's north transept window is the world's largest church stained glass window, measuring 67 feet in length by 24 feet wide. It represents the early fifth-century Ecumenical Council of Ephesus that proclaimed Mary as the Mother of God.

        “I just got back from a trip to Italy, and (the cathedral) is as beautiful as any of them in Europe,” said Ellen Sorrell, 73, of Covington, who has lived through both of the cathedral's major renovations.

        The lifelong member of the congregation said she was the first person married in the cathedral after its first renovation in 1950. On Saturday, she sat in the front row to witness the re-opening after the second renovation.

IF YOU GO

• What: Reopening of the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption to the public.   • When: Mass at 10 a.m. today.   • Where: 1140 Madison Ave., Covington.   • Information: For tour and Mass schedules, covcathedral.com or call (859) 431-2060.

        The project was completed on schedule and budget despite some initial objections to the renovation. Much of the controversy centered around moving the cathedral's massive marble altar from its traditional place to a location closer to the people, as called for in Vatican II reforms nearly four decades old.

        The cathedral, dedicated in 1901, never was completed after construction stopped in 1915. It is a replica of the Abbey Church of Saint-Denis in Paris. The interior three-tiered walls are drawn from Notre Dame de Chartres, and its facade is a mini-copy of Cathedral de Notre Dame in Paris.

        Traditionally, churches attained the title of basilica because of their antiquity, historical importance and significance. There are only four major basilicas in the world, all in Rome. The Covington cathedral is one of 35 minor basilicas in the United States.

        The cathedral, visited by some 70,000 people annually, serves as the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington and as the parish of St. Mary's.

        “It used to be dark inside the cathedral and not very pretty,” said Sister Therese Marie Schreck of Walton, Ky., “You can see this truly is God's house now.”

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