EXCLUSIVE: Philadelphia's Cathedral Basilica Of Saints Peter And Paul Getting Long-Overdue Makeover
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- In an Eyewitness News exclusive, a landmark church will get a long-overdue makeover. It's the church home to one million Catholics in the region.
CBS3's Joe Holden got an exclusive tour of the plans for the sacred Philadelphia landmark.
The stunning interior of Philadelphia's Roman Catholic Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul has weathered thousands of masses and services over more than a century and a half.
But up close, the paint is tired and worn.
"The most serious issue is that it's an old paint job. And so all throughout the Basilica, the paint is flaking," Father Dennis Gill, the cathedral rector, said.
He estimates a full restoration with new paint on all of the cathedral's surfaces will run at least a million dollars.
"A big part of the expense will be the scaffolding that will have to go up and come down depending on the time of the year the painting is taking place," Father Gill said.
The professional painters will address practically everything from the opulent crown molding and capitols to the walls that stretch for dozens and dozens of feet.
We launched Drone Watch 3 to get a sense of the scale of the sacred space.
The paint job will be an impressive undertaking, giving a new look to earth-toned walls that presently incorporate dozens of contrasting shades.
"I don't get many complaints about the paint at all. People walk in and they say, 'Father, it looks beautiful,'" Father Gill said.
The project is expected to last a year. With a very busy schedule at the cathedral, painters will have to get creative with their scaffolding.
The cathedral is accepting donations to help offset the cost of the paint job.