Cathedral Of The Holy Cross
Designed by the Irish-American architect Patrick Keely, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross is the largest Roman Catholic Church in New England. Seating almost 2,000 people, the church is expansive yet intricately beautiful, exemplifying the Gothic Revival style of architecture. Keely churches are known for their exquisite craftsmanship, museum-quality artwork, and stone furnishings. All architectural elements within his 19th century ecclesiastical buildings have a harmonious relationship with each other.
Like many churches of its vintage, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross suffered from insensitive post-historic renovations that covered much of the original artwork and introduced discordant elements. The angels in the sanctuary dome were barely decipherable, the sanctuary was extremely top heavy, and the carefully curated relationship between these elements was illegible beneath layers of post-historic paint, varnish, and wood graining. The Cathedral also suffered from neglect over time, the introduction of carpeting, and the addition of a wood altar of sacrifice that lacked integration with the other historic furnishings.
The Archdiocese of Boston, Suffolk Construction, and Elkus Manfredi Architects engaged EverGreene to reinstate lost artwork, conserve historic murals — including the severely damaged Stations of the Cross — design and create a new marble altar of sacrifice, and an ambo and baptismal font.
As part of this massive historic restoration project, EverGreene executed:
- Finishes Investigation
- Decorative Painting
- Plaster Restoration, Consolidation, & Patching
- Restoration, Conservation, Design & Fabrication of Marble and Stone
- Liturgical Furnishings
The restoration of this historically significant church coincides with the revitalization of Boston’s South End.
