REGINA — A historic Regina church is undergoing massive renovations.
Built in 1913, Holy Rosary Cathedral was constructed to serve the Catholic population of the city, as it has hosted masses, weddings, gatherings, music festivals and more over the years.
After it stood for more than 100 years, overseers of the cathedral started looking at the state of the building and what needed repairs
“We decided to come up with a major renewal plan that we've kind of created and are approaching all of the work in kind of four main phases,” said John Dipple, co-chair of the Rebuilding Our Church Capital Campaign.
The first phase was completed in 2024, costing $2.6 million and funded through donations.
“[This] involved the accessibility issues or constraints in the building. So there's now a new accessible elevator, accessible washrooms, and we also dealt with and resolved a structural problem in a certain part of the building that's now been renovated,” said Dipple.
With the first part completed, renewal efforts have now turned to replacing the aging spires.
Over the years, water has started getting into the structure through the spires.
“Water is getting down into the masonry towers and causing deterioration in the wood substructure to the spires and to the masonry,” said Dipple.
To renew the spires, the old ones will be detached from the masonry and lifted down into the site’s parking lot next spring.
During this time, construction workers will fabricate new spires before they are lifted back onto the structure in the fall, said Dipple.
The spires are considered an important landmark for the city, said parishioner Karl Skierszkan.
“For us here in Regina, the spires represent an important landmark seen from the airport by people arriving by plane, from the Regina bypass and dominating the Cathedral district.”
Inheriting history
Dipple said inheriting the historic Holy Rosary Cathedral requires a commitment to its care for future generations.
"It's like a legacy from our ancestors, and I think we would all be subject to a lot of criticism if we didn't take care of the building, as it's unique in the city.”
In deciding how to carry the cathedral forward, Lisa Polk, director of pastoral services and operations, said it’s important they take a hand-in-hand approach.
“We can't look after the building at the expense of building the faith, and we can't build the faith at the expense of looking after something well. So, we're called on to take care of both really well.”
Maintaining a good place to gather is also important for the community, noted Polk.
“We want to be a hub for this neighbourhood and offer people a place of comfort while other churches are having to discern closures.”
The community recently experienced a significant loss when Holy Rosary Community School, built in 1914, was demolished last year after deteriorating beyond repair.
Reflecting on the demolition, Dipple said: “We're doing our very best to make sure that doesn't happen here.”
After phase two is finished next year, organizers hope to complete the following phases in the next one to two years.
Phase three will focus on repairs to the core infrastructure, including electrical systems, heating, floors and staircases.
This phase will cost roughly $4 million, with organizers still trying to fund this portion of the project.
Once all repairs are completed, Dipple said the site should remain for another 100 years.
More information on how people can contribute to the campaign can be found here.
