Renovations underway: Murals part of cathedral makeover

With its nearby parochial school having been expanded a little over two years ago, St. Mary Cathedral at 615 William St. now is gaining new murals depicting the Heavenly and Earthly Trinity and the Annunciation of Mary, when the Archangel Gabriel told Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus Christ, as well as new flooring.

The Rev. Tom Kiefer, church pastor, said 4,200 square feet of ceramic tile and carpeting are being installed by Columbia Construction of Cape Girardeau in the second phase of a master plan.

"The work entails replacing carpet that is over 20 years old and worn out," the Rev. Kiefer said in an email.

"The carpet will be replaced with ceramic tile in the Sanctuary, the vestibule and the main aisle. Carpet will be installed underneath the pews. The church is being repainted on the inside and some lighting added. Deteriorated electrical wiring is being replaced with new wiring, and LED lighting is replacing much of the existing lighting, using the same light fixtures."

Explaining that the project will probably take two months, Kiefer said Drury Southwest Signs of Cape Girardeau is printing 17th Century Spanish artist Bartolome Esteban Murillo's "Mural of the Annunciation" and "Mural of the Heavenly and Earthly Trinity" on 10-by-13-foot canvasses for the front wall of the sanctuary and the ceiling of the body of the church.

"Early in the history of the cathedral, there was a mural of the annunciation on the ceiling," he said. "Drury Southwest Signs is also assisting us with two small three-foot reproductions of our Diocesan Patron Saints, Pope St. Pius X and St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, which will be placed in the areas above the statues of Mary and St. Joseph.

"The original baptismal font will be placed inside the vestibule, doorways that had been previously closed up are being uncovered and the vestibule is being restored with its original opening of glass above the inside doors of the main entrance to the church. The tabernacle is being replated, and votive candles will be available for devotions."

Asked how the improvements are being funded, Kiefer credited memorials from individuals, the Knights of Columbus, private donations and donations for specific items in the cathedral along with parishioners who left specific bequests in their wills. The architects are Chiodini Associates of St. Louis.

Known affectionately to the 1,206 families in his parish as "Father Tom," the priest said the final phase of the parish council's master plan written seven years ago, yet to be undertaken, will be the construction of a narthex, or entrance hall, to connect the cathedral and school.

"The narthex will provide a community room and overflow seating for the church," he said. "Many parish members are involved in the renovation with the building of side altars, a song board and electrical work, to name a few of the many projects that are part of the process.

"The cathedral renovation committee has been working on the project for the last year and has been invaluable in planning the work now taking place," he said.

The church staff also includes parish secretaries Donna Simonton and Linda Boxdorfer, director of religious education Brenda Kuhn and parish pastoral minister Jim Kuesenkothen. The prekindergarten through eighth grade St. Mary Cathedral School has 240 students.

According to Southeast Missourian archives, 19,000 square feet of floor space was added to the school on the other side of the block from the church at 210 S. Sprigg St. That two-level expansion included eight classrooms, offices, a gymnasium, a lobby, a conference room, a nurse's station, a concession stand, heating and air conditioning systems, handicap accessibility, an increase in the library and an enhancement of the computer lab.

The Southeast Missourian said in 2010 that the first through fifth grades were housed on the top level of the building while the sixth, seventh and eights grades moved into first-floor classrooms.

The church's website says the church was remodeled and redecorated in 1954, 1968 and 1985, and a gymnasium, parish hall and kindergarten were opened in 1978. The steeple was restored to its original height in 1984, and the property where the school playground is located now at the corner of Frederick and William streets was purchased in 1996-97.

A new parish building was completed in January 2000, and improvements were made to the interior of the school office, classrooms, library and gym in 2004 and 2006, the website says.

Father Tom said the church, named the St. Mary of the Annunciation, began as a parish church in 1868 and that the school also was opened in 1868. In September 1912, a new modern building with four classrooms, club rooms and a large auditorium was built.

"St. Mary High School, now known as Notre Dame Regional High School, was founded in 1925 by St. Mary of the Annunciation parish at 131 Sprigg St., just across the street from the church," he wrote in an email. "When the diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau was established on Aug. 24, 1956, St. Mary of the Annunciation was named the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Annunciation."