Cathedral of Mary Our Queen undergoes dramatic lighting renovation

Kevin J. Parks always had a bit of dread when the Catholic Review photographer was asked to cover an assignment at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland.

The notoriously dim lighting in the cathedral made it challenging to capture some of the most important moments in the history of the local church – ordinations, Masses with the archbishop and funerals of prominent citizens among them.

“I was always on the lookout for pockets of good light,” Parks remembered. “I would have to move around constantly to find areas that weren’t too dark.”

As the cathedral nears completion of a long-anticipated $2.75 million project to revamp its lighting, Parks said the transformation has been dramatic.

“It’s magnificent,” he said. “It’s like a different place. It’s much brighter and the lighting is more consistent throughout the building.”

Father Louis Bianco, rector, said the goal of the lighting project was to restore the original intent of the 1959 lighting design, which had cast warm light throughout the building. Parish leaders also wanted to make the space more welcoming and provide adequate lighting for parishioners to see more clearly, he said.

Over the decades, the quality of the lighting deteriorated significantly inside the neo-Gothic building as many of the large light bulbs inside 450-pound brass chandeliers kept burning out right after they were replaced some 75 feet overhead.

“The uplight function of the fixtures never really worked to its fullest potential because the old incandescent-style light fixtures generate so much heat that they were basically baking themselves,” said Jeff Yingling, president of Hirsch Electric, the lighting company that worked on the project with Rambusch Lighting Company.

“There was just kind of a hodgepodge of a bulb here or there, but never the full effect,” he said. “You never got that glow on the beautiful ceiling, which is a work of art in itself.”

The ornate chandeliers, each of which includes the inscription, “Maria,” were retrofitted with modern LED lights without altering their original appearance. Edwin Rambusch of Rambusch Lighting said a new Casambi wireless control system was installed on each fixture, allowing lighting to be dimmed or enhanced for different liturgical settings.

“It is infinitely flexible so that you can group the different fixtures in different ways without having to rewire the building,” he said.

As part of the lighting project, the cathedral also installed glass doors behind the bronze doors at the main entrance to the cathedral, allowing natural light to bathe the narthex.

Father Bianco noted that the lighting project was originally projected to be $3 million, but has come in under budget and ahead of schedule. It is part of a larger $6 million “Vision of Hope” campaign that will also include improvements at the School of the Cathedral such as the installation of an elevator that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. So far, $4.5 million has been raised.

“The reaction of parishioners and visitors has been nothing but positive,” Father Bianco said. “Parishioners are able to see the text in the hymnals much more clearly and are able to see the action in the sanctuary much more easily.”

Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org

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