Cardinal Dolan: Fundraising For St. Patrick's Cathedral Renovations Surpasses $100 Million
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Cardinal Timothy Dolan announced Monday that fundraising for St. Patrick's Cathedral's massive restoration project has reached $100 million of its $170 million price tag.
Dolan said Monday at an Association for a Better New York breakfast that the Archdiocese's efforts would not be as far along if it weren't for its non-Catholic benefactors, WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reported.
The cardinal told the story of a prominent Jewish philanthropist who described walking past St. Patrick's on Saturday mornings as a child after going to temple with his parents. They would tell him, "This is where the Catholics come. But we're welcome there, too," Dolan said.
The family would then enter the cathedral, and the philanthropist's mother would light a candle.
"But I don't think she ever paid for them," Dolan quoted the man as saying, which caused the breakfast audience to erupt in laughter.
"So he said, 'Here.' And he gave me a check for $5 million," the cardinal said.
Dolan also shed some light on Pope Francis' visit to New York City on Sept. 24-26.
Dolan said the pope will meet with interfaith leaders, make a visit to an inner-city Catholic school and celebrate a big Mass, as well as stops at St. Patrick's and the United Nations.