TORONTO – A tinkling bell and a jolly umbrella carried up and down the aisles declared St. Michael������Ƶapp Cathedral the 25th minor basilica in Canada — one more happy moment added onto one of the most significant liturgies in Toronto������Ƶapp Catholic history.

My Dear Friends,

In the mid 1840s, Michael Power, the first bishop of Toronto, identified the need to construct a cathedral for his new diocese, in which at that time there were only 3,000 parishioners in the City of Toronto itself, and not many more beyond it. Bishop Power������Ƶapp vision, one that he would not live to see fulfilled, was to pray, to serve and to evangelize throughout the vast region entrusted to his care. Before the cathedral was completed, however, he gave his life in caring for the sick Irish immigrants who came to Toronto in 1847.

The tradition of caring for the spiritual and pastoral needs of our community has continued in the Archdiocese of Toronto, following the example of Bishop Power. Since 1848, St. Michael������Ƶapp Cathedral has served as the mother church of our archdiocese, now a community of about two million faithful. It is also both a parish church and a destination for pilgrims and tourists alike, with hundreds of thousands visiting the cathedral annually. Over the past several years, the church has undergone a significant restoration to return it to its original beauty, to expand its seating capacity and to preserve it so that it may be a beacon of faith, hope and love for generations to come.

Our cathedral connects every Catholic in the archdiocese, and gathers every pastoral and apostolic work under the heavenly patronage of our great defender in the struggle of life, the archangel Michael. We all need his intercession and protection more than ever.

In the pages that follow, you will learn more about the cathedral, its history and restoration. It is a powerful story of sacrifice, commitment and fidelity. To all those who have contributed to the restoration efforts through their labour, prayers and financial support, be assured of my profound gratitude.

It is my prayer that every Catholic family in the Archdiocese of Toronto take the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to St. Michael������Ƶapp Cathedral: to pray, to deepen their faith, and to be inspired to witness to Christ Our Lord, in the spirit of those who have gone before us.

We pray that the cathedral will serve as a beautiful sign of God������Ƶapp presence, a gathering place where the faithful, visitors and community at large are welcomed to enter and to be touched by the sacred, echoing the meaning of the name St. Michael: “Who is like God.” May the physical restoration of the cathedral become the foundation for our own spiritual revitalization.

St. Michael, patron of the Archdiocese of Toronto, pray for us!

Sincerely in Christ,

Thomas Collins
Archbishop of Toronto

There were times when Fr. Michael Busch feared for St. Michael������Ƶapp Cathedral. For a few days in June 2015, the rector had to wonder whether the whole thing was about to fall down on top of him.

Surrounded by towering condominiums, rumbling streetcars and honking cars today, it������Ƶapp difficult to imagine that the nickname for St. Michael������Ƶapp Cathedral long ago was “St. Michael������Ƶapp in the Fields.”

When Ruslana Makarenko was trying to think of how to design the 30 new shields that run along each side of St. Michael������Ƶapp Cathedral, two things came to mind.

If you’re going to pick somebody to spend $128 million for you, pick somebody who will enjoy the job. Over the last 10 years, rector Fr. Michael Busch has driven the restoration project at St. Michael������Ƶapp Cathedral with relish, delight, enthusiasm and purpose.

Toronto is not the new Jerusalem. It is, perhaps, one of the most secular cities in the world.

Restoring the roughly 40 giant stained glass windows of St. Michael������Ƶapp Cathedral to their original glory takes patience — or at least one would assume so given the extraordinary amount of detailed work that goes into even just one window.

For six months, Mila Tereshchenko has begun her work day with prayer. As a gilder, her job is to quite literally make things shine by applying 24-karat gold leafing to various architectural elements of St. Michael������Ƶapp Cathedral. Given the prayer that goes into her work and the beauty that comes out of it, it������Ƶapp clear the divine is in the details.

When the faithful enter the newly refurbished St. Michael������Ƶapp Cathedral, they will gaze upon statues unlike those found anywhere else. None of these statues come from a catalogue. All were designed by a small team under cathedral rector Fr. Michael Busch that included artisans from a small town in Italy.