THE St. George’s Cathedral Restoration Appeal will be officially launched tomorrow, during an Evensong at the Cathedral in Georgetown, beginning at 15:00hrs.
This is according to the Rt. Reverend Bishop Cornel Moss, Diocesan Bishop of Guyana.The 123-year- old Cathedral, designed by Sir Arthur Bloomfield and opened and blessed by English Bishop Austin on August 24, 1892 is slightly older than the Salvation Army in Guyana, which now celebrates its 120th anniversary. The cathedral was dedicated on November 8, 1894, but was completed in 1899. Reputed to be the world’s tallest wooden building, at a height of 43.5 metres (143ft), for the better of 123 years, it stood resplendent in its majesty, overlooking the capital Georgetown and squarely facing the Bank of Guyana to the west.
St. George’s Cathedral, a magnificent Heritage Monument, accredited by the National Trust of Guyana, has undoubtedly put Guyana on the map; being avidly sought after by tourists to Guyana, it is a virtual tourist attraction. But with age having taken a toll on it, the iconic edifice now requires extensive repairs, even though, from time to time, and quite recently as well, incremental maintenance works continued to be undertaken.
Dean of St George’s, Rev Terry Davis, was quoted as saying last year that funds for the restoration are being solicited from former members of the congregation in the diaspora, more especially those in England, the US and Canada, as well as the local Anglican churches and major donor agencies.