Written and published by the Diocese of Hamilton

Finishing touches were made today on the cross cladding and the masonry work at the top of the tower at the Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King.

This significant step in the restoration of the Church was marked by a blessing of the cross. The blessing was led by the rector of the Cathedral Basilica, Father David Wynen.

The cross is made of material called Nordic Royal. This is a combination of copper, zinc and aluminum alloy which is similar to the blend used in the loonie. This blend allows the cross to have the gold colouring and it will stand up well to weathering only darkening slightly but not changing in colour.

Very soon the scaffolding around the tower will begin to come down. It will start from level 21 down to 17 to allow the completion of the work on the roof. It will then come down to level 11 giving the Diocese a preview of the delicate work that is being done.

The work on the Cathedral Basilica has been a long process due to the detail involved to ensure it looks it's best and that the quality of work is top notch. Semple Gooder Roofing Corp. and Clifford Restoration have been working hard to preserve as much of the original materials as possible. In places that have needed pieces replaced, (such as parts of the masonry) they have put extensive time and effort into making every detail look as the original did as well as ensuring that it didn't impact the structure of any of the work around it when placed back into it's location.

New copper protection and lightning rods have been put into place to help prevent lightning strikes to the tower but also to protect the building by providing a grounding source for the rare possibility of it striking.

These are just a few pieces of the puzzle that is the restoration of the Cathedral Basilica and it will be exciting to see the beauty of the work they've done.

See [the original news article] for photos of the blessing, the work and the view from the top of the tower.