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.
Cardinal Dolan: Fundraising For St. Patrick's Cathedral Renovations Surpasses $100 Million
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.
