Among the mosaics of the 12 apostles at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, Rodrigo Canto leaned out of a uniquely engineered outrigger boom suspended five stories high and anchored by a 1947 Willys Jeep.
The light of his headlamp illuminated the intricate grooves of the stone around the top of the baldacchino, the domed structure that provides a canopy over the altar. Canto applied a chemical wash as he meticulously cleaned away almost 100 years of soot and grime, revealing the original creamy marble.
Canto works for John Tiedemann Inc., which specializes in cleaning and decorating churches.
Over the next six weeks, the team will clean the baldacchino and the walls of the sanctuary, said Msgr. Henry Breier, rector of the cathedral basilica. The sanctuary has been dusted and cleaned with soap and water in the past, but this is the first intensive cleaning with chemical washes, Msgr. Breier said.
Foreman and machine operator William Connors was impressed by the mosaics and stone of the cathedral basilica.
“You look everywhere, it’s a colorful mosaic,” Connors said. “It’s an art in itself. It’s real intricate work that they did long ago.”
The cleaning project corresponds with an overhaul of the cathedral basilica’s interior lighting, which will feature LED lights with adjustable color temperature. New light fixtures will be added to highlight mosaics and other details.
“Throughout the entire cathedral, you will be able to see things we haven’t seen before,” Msgr. Breier said.
While the cleaning takes place, the 7 and 8 a.m. and 12:05 p.m. weekday and 8 a.m. Saturday Masses are being celebrated in the St. Cecilia Chapel in the lower level of the cathedral basilica. The work will not affect the 5 p.m. Saturday Vigil Mass and Sunday Masses.
The annual Cathedral Basilica Gala raised funds for the project. For more information, visit www.cathedralstl.org.
