HELENA — After 18 months of renovation to the Cathedral of St. Helena, residents can now see the regilded and reroofed iconic towers — a testament to the city’s history and religious community.
Last summer, work began on the cathedral’s south spire after its roof tiles were damaged by wind. The Ohio-based Durable Restoration Company replaced the roof with water- and hurricane-proof materials. The tower scaffolding was then taken down and reconstructed for a similar makeover to the north spire.
While the work finished in late October, cathedral officials said the company will return next spring to remove the bottom portion of the scaffolding built into the cathedral for stabilization.
In addition, cathedral representative Peter Baker told Montana Free Press that both crosses on top of the spires, about 230 feet high, were regilded with gold leaf, which will give them a layer of protection and a new shine that can be seen from around the community.
While the cathedral had undergone minor repair work in the past, Baker said, the spire restoration is the church’s largest-scale project.
“While we had the scaffolding up, we went through and did masonry repairs to both spires on all sides and also the front of the cathedral and brought it back using more historic materials for the grout and mortar,” Baker said.
Parish operations manager Jennifer Fenton told MTFP the total renovation cost was about $4.5 million, of which the building’s insurance covered a small portion because of the weather-related damage.
The cathedral was built between 1908 and 1924, a project spearheaded by Bishop John B. Brondel, who wanted to bring a one-of-a-kind place of worship to the Capital City. However, Brondel died before the completion of St. Helena, which was led by Bishop John P. Carroll after Brondel’s passing.
The Cathedral of St. Helena exemplifies the detailed architecture of A.O. Von Herbulis, according to the cathedral’s website. The Hungary-born architect took inspiration from the Neo-Gothic style of the Votivkirche of Vienna, the historic and massive church in that city.
Fenton said that the cathedral is just one of five in the country with its type of architecture and that its uniqueness draws visitors from all over the world.
Fenton has lived in Helena for about two years and recalled her first experience visiting St. Helena.
“I remember walking in and thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I did not know that this was sitting here in the middle of Montana.’” Fenton recalled. “And I think that that’s the experience that lots of people have when they walk in whether they are Catholic or not Catholic, Christian or not Christian. It is one of those things that just takes your breath away.”
However, the beauty and history of the cathedral hold a deeper meaning for Fenton.
“It’s bringing people to God,” she said. “The beauty of the church, the architecture of the church, the symbolism of the things that are painted in it, and the bronze statues or the other statues, the altar, I mean all of these things are testament to the gifts that God gave man of art and beauty, to bring man closer to him, to walk in and feel the significance of that space.”
Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins expressed his appreciation to the Catholic Church for undertaking the cathedral restoration and said it’s one of the city’s icons.
Collins also told MTFP that the cathedral plays a role in bringing visitors to Helena and how the structure falls inline with the city’s priority on historic preservation.
“We pay attention to our historic structures around the city. We treasure them. We try to maintain them and the cathedral is no exception,” Collins said. “This has been such an eye-opener for our community, and I know the rest of the community is looking at that structure in a new light because it has been renovated. The cathedral will be open again for visits and I know we love that cathedral and we love it being a part of our community.”
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