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A cross to bear for the roof of St. Andrews Cathedral Church

A fabricated metal cross made by a parishioner is seeing the light of day after 15 years in storage
Kimberley Millar

A more than 6ft. metal cross is finally seeing the light of day after more than ten years in storage at St. Andrews Cathedral Church.

The cross was made for the nearly 100-year-old church after a succession of wooden crosses adorned the roof of the cathedral, Rev. Paul Williams rector at the diocese, said on May 13.

The goal is for the cross to be the crowning jewel of the cathedral mounted on the front apex so all who enter the harbour will be welcomed by it, Williams said.

“There were two competing hopes for the cross, the one that it was designed for was being placed on the roof over the sanctuary area of the building so that it could be seen by people coming into the harbour by boat and also seen from downtown,” he said.

The job to place the cross on the roof will require a crane and proper secure mounting due to its size combined with wind conditions. That’s a project the church just does not have the funds for, Williams said.

“That’s the one option that’s ideal. But that’s going to take a lot of wherewithal and quite honestly the building has other more important needs,” the rector said.

Over the years there have been discussions surrounding the correct positioning of the cross due to the high winds, that the cross is too heavy to be mounted, that it is too light to sustain being perched on the roof and could be blown away taking the roof with it.

The other option is to place it on the grounds he said, so it can still be seen but also illuminated according to the seasons.

In the near century since the cathedral was constructed the many wooden crosses placed on the roof have become victims to environmental elements. The final pieces of the lastest one blew off during November high winds landing on the forgiving neighbour’s front yard, Williams said.

For the past 10 to 15 years, the just over 250 lb cross has sat in a sanctuary of its own underneath the wooden walkway to the church. The cross was created sometime in the 1990s by church parishioner Edward Kennedy. His goal was for the cross to be placed on the front of the sanctuary roof. Sadly, he moved away to France before his goal could be accomplished, the rector said.

For now, the cross will serve in the sunlight as part of the naturalized backdrop of the cathedral grounds in preparation for church services outside, Williams said, where it may stand until the day it can adorn the cathedral crown.

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K-J Millar | Journalist
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Reverend Paul Williams of St. Andrews Cathedral Church stands next to the metal cross on May 13, fabricated by a parishioner and stored away for over ten years. The goal is to have the cross mounted to the roof of the sanctuary so it can welcome those entering the harbour. (Photo: K-J Millar/The Northern View)
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Reverend Paul Williams of St. Andrews Cathedral Church stands next to the more than 6 ft metal cross fabricated by a parishioner and stored away for over ten years. The goal is to have the cross mounted to the roof of the sanctuary so it can welcome those entering the harbour. (Photo: K-J Millar/The Northern View)
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Rev. Paul Williams, rector of St. Andrews Cathedral Church said on May 13, the goal is to have a metal cross made by a parishioner over ten years ago, positioned on the roof of the church to offer welcome to those entering the harbour. (Photo: K-J Millar/the Northern View)