HONG KONG (SE): Masses are set to resume at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, Caine Road, on November 30 after a six-month interior renovation
During an opening ceremony on November 24, Father Dominic Chan Chi-ming, parish priest of the cathedral, expressed his gratitude to God for the completion of the first stage of the renovation and for those who worked hard to support the project, which made it possible for Mass to be celebrated inside the church during the first Sunday of Advent.
The overall renovation of the cathedral covers the replacement of the air-conditioning system, waterproofing the roof, the maintenance of the drainage system as well as the internal and the external walls and windows, among others. (Sunday Examiner, June 30)
Father Chan, told the Kung Kao Po that, thanks to the good progress made on the internal renovation project, it is possible to resume offering Masses inside the cathedral as scheduled while the external renovations will go on.
He said the most important guiding principle of the renovation is the preservation of the original structure and style of the building. He added that the four confessional boxes inside the church would adopt a new design which allows a penitent to talk to a priest from behind a screen or face-to-face.
The parish priest said the second stage of the renovation will cover the replacement of all the tiles on the roof and will take place from December this year to March 2020.
According to the Diocesan Building and Development Commission, renovating a church building over 100 years old can be difficult due to the lack of complete historical records about previous renovations which can give rise to unexpected problems. There can also differences between modern and original construction materials. The arrangement of electricity or other systems can be limited by the historical design.
According to the commission, the new four-metre high golden glazing at the entrance, which bears an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary in blue, can reduce air leakage and save on electricity when air-conditioning is used.
The 131-year-old Gothic-style building was completed in 1888 and is one of Hong Kong’s Grade 1 historic buildings.
The project is expected to cost over $40 million, to be covered by funds raised from parish activities, donations, as well as a renovation reserve of over $20 million. The last renovation took place around 16 years ago.
Since June, when the interior renovation started, weekday Masses have been celebrated at the parish hall, while Sunday Masses were celebrated at Caritas Hall.
