Stone by stone, a transformation is taking place at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick on Broadway in Norwich.
In late March, steel scaffolding rose around the cathedral’s main entrances as workers from the Joseph Gnazzo Co. of Union prepared to replace the cathedral’s front towers.
“It’s work that’s needed,” said Rev. Msgr. Anthony S. Rosaforte, rector of the cathedral.
The project follows growing concern about aging stone structures. In early 2025, the stone steeple of the 1850 First Congregational Church in New London suddenly collapsed onto the church building, forcing an emergency demolition.
“We want to make sure it doesn’t happen here,” he said recently.
Painstaking work on the Cathedral of Saint Patrick’s towers, located to the left of the main entrance and near the school, will take several months.
“They’ll take each tower down and rebuild it one stone at a time,” Director of Diocesan Properties Joseph Muscarella said. “Stones will even be individually cataloged so that they will all be replaced in their original positions.”
Monsignor Rosaforte said the work will last through the spring and summer, and will likely be complete in September.
It’s the second such large project in recent years to preserve and protect a diocesan church in Norwich.
In 2022, St. Mary Church, a cherished place of worship for more than 100 years, was in urgent need of repairs to save its crumbling facade and bell tower. Community members rallied to raise the funds, believing that preserving St. Mary’s was vital not just for today, but for the future — for baptisms, weddings, and the continued life of the parish. The work on the 100-year-old stone and brick bell tower of St. Mary was completed in 2024.
Now, the Cathedral of Saint Patrick, a vital part of the region’s Catholic community since the late 19th century, and the seat of the Diocese of Norwich since 1953, is being carefully repaired and strengthened for the years ahead.
Though originally dedicated on September 28, 1879, as Saint Patrick Church, it wasn’t until 1953 that it became the Cathedral of Saint Patrick with the establishment of the Diocese of Norwich.
For more than 145 years, this cathedral has stood not only as an historic building, but as a center of worship. It has endured the passage of time, damage during the devastating 1938 New England hurricane, and more recent lightning-related damage in 2020, while remaining a place where faith has been marked, celebrated, and sustained across generations.
By Ryan Blessing
Photos by Wayne Gignac