Smell those wood shavings? A hint of volatile organic compounds coming up from the glue and grout around the stone? It鱿鱼视频app almost a new-car smell.
That鱿鱼视频app because, in reality, the restored St. Michael鱿鱼视频app Cathedral has become Toronto鱿鱼视频app newest church. It just happens to be standing where one of Toronto鱿鱼视频app oldest churches has stood since 1848, wearing mostly the same bricks that have draped its elegant form for 170 years.
In the new church, the old Christmas decorations just aren鈥檛 going to work.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 put things where we used to put them before,鈥� explains cathedral rector Fr. Michael Busch.
The tabernacle that used to be on the right is now to the left of the altar. The old side altars are now exits. There鱿鱼视频app space for wheelchairs where there used to be pews.
鈥淥ur florist has come in and done a whole new, complete floral plan for the cathedral, because the space is totally different. Everything is totally different,鈥� said Busch.
For Busch 鈥� a priest who studied at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design years before he entered the seminary 鈥� hauling out a box of Christmas decorations and randomly spewing them across the front of the church just isn鈥檛 an option. There is order, design and purpose behind everything the rector presents to St. Michael鱿鱼视频app parishioners.
This year鱿鱼视频app Christmas decorations 鈥� which won鈥檛 go up until the last few days before Christmas so that Advent may remain Advent 鈥� will in fact be less spectacular than the cathedral decorations of past years.
鈥淚n the past, because the building was in such a shabby state, we wanted to draw people鱿鱼视频app attention away from that,鈥� Busch said. 鈥淪o your decorations, your flower arrangements, (in previous years) tended to be over-the-top.鈥�
This year Busch has no intention of distracting anybody away from the cathedral-basilica.
鈥淧eople will be coming to see the new cathedral. Some have not seen the cathedral since the old time, last year. Last year it was nothing but scaffolding,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he space now is beautiful in and of itself. So what we鈥檙e doing now is doing little counterpoints to bring the beauty out.鈥�
With the focus on the church itself, many will seek out the nativity stained glass window 鈥� the same one that鱿鱼视频app been there for more than a century. But they will be seeing it cleaned, restored, practically reconstructed. The slightest shaft of sunlight will now cause the window to glow.
One constant will be the nativity statuary Busch was able to purchase 10 years ago thanks to donors who had grown tired of the chipped and much repaired nativity scene of yore. But it won鈥檛 be framed by the side altar, as it was in the past.
鈥淭he City of Toronto told us we had to have more exits. So, that鱿鱼视频app where our nativity scenes used to sit 鈥� on those side altars with the nice backdrop,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ell, I can鈥檛 do that anymore. So I had to figure out where am I going to put the nativity scene. And when I put it there, I need something to surround it so people know that鱿鱼视频app where the nativity scene is.鈥�
A carpenter is working on a life-sized creche and boxes where trees and other elements of the scene can be elevated and emphasized at different times during the Christmas season.
While a lot has to change, the cathedral staff are trying to re-use as many elements as they can from previous years. Some of the smaller urns are being spray painted so they will fit in with the new colour scheme.
鈥淏ut we鈥檝e had to buy some new things as well,鈥� Busch said.
Perhaps the most spectacular addition to St. Michael鱿鱼视频app Christmas decor will be about 300 more people comfortably ensconced in the new balcony. In past years hundreds of the faithful have been stuck outside listening to Midnight Mass on loudspeakers.
The new, restored St. Michael鱿鱼视频app will one day also be able to accommodate extra worshippers in the crypt chapel downstairs and perhaps St. John鱿鱼视频app Chapel in the back. For this year, Busch is hoping for a full house with the 300 extras in the balcony and nobody freezing outside.
鈥淏ut now that they know, I might get 600 (more) people this year. Who knows,鈥� said Busch.