A faithful restoration of a Manchester cathedral

MANCHESTER In 1969, it was time for a makeover of the interior of the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Manchester.

The liberalizing spirit of Vatican II was in the air, and then-Bishop Ernest J. Primeau decided that more than just church liturgy was going to change in his century-old cathedral building.

Out went the reredos, the elaborate, marble backdrop that featured heavenly directed spires and cubbyholes for statues of angels.

Paint brushes silenced intricate moldings and a starry night sky painted on the ceiling. The interior color scheme changed to tones of beige, light beige, and wooden pews.

All that is now changing.

For the last three months, an interior restoration has been underway at the home church of the Diocese of Manchester.

A wooden reredos has been salvaged from a shuttered South Boston church and installed where the original had stood. Stations of the Cross from the same church now hang on the cathedral walls.

And painters have added an ocean-blue color to the ceiling, rich shades of rose and gold to moldings, and a faux-marble pattern to church columns.

This is a tremendous gift for us. These are priceless, these are works of art, said the Rev. Msgr. Anthony Frontiero, rector of the Cathedral.

Work has been going on at the Cathedral for about three months. On Mondays, about a half-dozen workers under the direction of Marko Golumbovic lay drop cloths, plug in power tools, turn on rock n roll radio and start their work.

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A faithful restoration of a Manchester cathedral