WHEELING - Some local brides-to-be are scrambling to find a church in which to be married this summer after being told renovation work planned at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Wheeling at that time will make the church unavailable for the Catholic weddings.
Numerous brides who had reserved the cathedral for their weddings this summer recently received a letter stating that no new weddings would be scheduled at the church this summer. The letter also suggested that brides who already had planned to be married there should consider finding another location for their ceremonies.
Bryan Minor, communications director for the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, said Wednesday that work will be performed in the area of the main altar at the front of the church, including replacement of the tile and flooring where the altar is located. He said the floor has been cracking or buckling and needs shored up in order to hold the altar.
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Photo by Scott McCloskey
The altar area of the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Wheeling will be undergoing repair in the coming months, prompting church leaders to stop scheduling weddings there.
The current altar was installed during a major renovation project in 1996. In addition to the floor work, the pews may be removed and refinished, but that task has not been formally decided to date.
"There are other pastoral issues still to be decided," Minor said.
Those issues include the daily Mass schedule and other events held at the church. Minor said church officials have assured that the "liturgical life of the parishioners will not be affected."
"The brides were notified because, with the work going on around the altar area, we can't guarantee the condition of the sanctuary at that time of the year," he said. "We realize that brides would not want the construction as a background for their wedding pictures."
There are no firm dates for the start and finish of the work inside the church this summer and more information will be made available as plans are finalized, Minor said.
