Beginning May 18, weekday Masses, confessions, private prayer and Wednesday adoration will relocate from the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist to a temporary worship space across the street on the first floor of Cathedral Square Plaza, the diocesan offices, at 1404 E. Ninth St. The space was occupied previously by a CVS store.
The change is due to interior renovations at the cathedral, which are scheduled to begin on May 18. Work will take several months to complete.
Access to the temporary worship space will be available beginning at 7 a.m. Monday through Friday. Enter the building through the main door under the black awning.
Times for weekday Masses remain unchanged at 7:15 a.m. and noon. The noon Mass will be livestreamed, as usual. Confessions will follow the 7:15 a.m. Mass and will continue until 8:15 a.m. Midday confessions will remain at 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. Only one confessor will be available midday and confessions will continue until all are heard.
Weekend Masses, funerals and weddings will remain in the cathedral. The 11 a.m. Sunday Mass will be livestreamed as usual until scaffolding prevents it, at which point the TV Mass will be offered online in that time slot.
“While these arrangements may feel modest, the grace offered there is anything but. Christ will be just as present in this (temporary) space, reminding us that the Church is not defined by stone alone, but by the living faith of God’s people. That is a good lesson for us all,” said Father Joe Mamich, cathedral pastor.
“Renovation, whether of our cathedral or of our heart, is rarely easy or convenient. It involves disruption, patience and trust. Walls must sometimes be opened to address what lies beneath. In the same way, Easter invites us to allow our Risen Lord access to the inner structures of our lives: our habits, our attitudes, our relationships and our choices,” he added.
Click here to view a video about the renovation.