24Jul

Bringing Back the Blue

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Painters from EverGreene Architectural Arts recently brought back the first strokes of blue to The Basilica’s magnificent ceiling. This radiant blue represents Mary and restores vibrancy to the architectural details overhead. The rich blue, gold, and red details have made the ceiling a masterpiece for more than a century. Over the next nine months, skilled […]

17Jul

Cleaning the Apostles

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Crews are cleaning every inch of The Basilica, including the marble statues of the apostles that surround the Sanctuary. Carved in Italy, they are half-scale replicas of the statues in Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome. Rather than scrubbing the stone with soap and water, conservators use a specialized conservation material that […]

08Jul

Media Coverage – July

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Going inside The Basilica of Saint Mary renovation:Nearly 120 years ago, construction began on The Basilica of Saint Mary in downtown Minneapolis. Today, this landmark is undergoing a massive renovation. They’re working on nearly everything from the ornate ceiling to the stained glass, the pews and even the organ is getting refreshed. This project started […]

06Jul

Plaster Restoration Process Begins

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Restoring the ornate plaster ceiling of The Basilica is one of the most intricate phases of the restoration. Decades of age and deterioration have left the decorative plasterwork with cracks, flaking finishes, and areas where entire ornamental pieces have broken away. Before work began in early June, plaster and paint conservation specialists conducted a thorough […]

30Jun

Campaign and Restoration Project Executive Summary

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Dear Friends, The extraordinary generosity of our community has allowed us to broaden our vision for restoration and set an expanded goal of $50 million. The multi-phase project is now 84% funded, with momentum continuing to build each month. This success enables us to broaden the scope of work to include reconstruction of the monumental […]

29Jun

Floor Releveling Prepares for New Hardwood Flooring

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As crews begin peeling back the layers of the historic church, they have discovered that the floors have shifted significantly over time and must be releveled before the new hardwood flooring can be installed. Over the past several weeks, JE Dunn Construction teams have carefully removed portions of the existing concrete that would have prevented […]

23Jun

Restoration Progress Tracker

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Preserving this once-in-a-lifetime project through photography and video is an important way to share the progress with donors and create a lasting record for The Basilica archives. Photo credit: Ken Fournelle

04Jun

Interior Tuckpointing

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Crews from American Masonry are carefully tuckpointing every interior mortar joint throughout the church. The existing mortar is removed and replaced with new mortar to secure the 4-inch-thick Mankato limestone and help preserve the structural integrity of the building. Once the stone is stabilized, a specialized cleaning material is applied to the surface. After it […]

29May

Pew Restoration Process

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The careful restoration of The Basilica’s historic pews represents both a significant investment and a commitment to preserving the church’s sacred heritage. Preserving the pews — and the more than 100 years of prayers, joys, and sorrows they have held — was central to the restoration vision of The Basilica. In April, the pews were […]

26May

Stone Cleaning Milestones

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Stone cleaning is progressing steadily throughout the church, carefully removing a century of soot and particulate deposits while preserving the integrity of the historic limestone. The contrast between cleaned and uncleaned areas is remarkable, offering a glimpse of the church’s original beauty and craftsmanship. To clean the limestone, a specialized conservation material is applied to […]

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