Week #9
All leading to our 40th anniversary celebration in October, each week RCCM will feature a Historical Picture of the Week. This week's photo is from October, 1908. It shows the historic St. Bridgets Cathedral located in downtown Rochester.

This week's picture of the week was taken a bit before our time, but it is still very much a part of our rich history. The St. Bridget's Cathedral was dedicated in 1875 and was a majestic masterpiece built for the glory of God. It was and remains a soaring landmark for Rochester and home of a congregation of as many as 2300 people. It remained the home of the St. Bridget's Church until 1997. After that point, the building fell to a state of terrible disrepair as a number of tenants and owners failed to keep up with the demands of the historic site. By the time RCCM acquired the building in 2001, it was without much of it's roof, was missing large sections of the ceiling and walls, and was home to pigeons, bats, and cats.

The reaction to RCCM's first tour of the building was mixed. Many were cautious and even hesitant to enter the building. Stephen Galvano's reaction was different. As he entered the building for the first time, he began to weep and knew RCCM had a future in it. Through much prayer and development, the building has been slated to become "The Lighthouse Center for the Performing Arts", a full time performing arts center . We are proud that restoration of the building is almost complete and we are looking forward to a bright future with this exciting new ministry.

Click here to visit the website for the Lighthouse Center for the Performing Arts.

Click here to see a highlight video of some of the recent restoration efforts.

Other restoration videos: Video 1, Video 2, Video 3, Video 4, Video 5

See photos of the restoration: Album 1, Album 2, Album 3, Album 4, Album 5, Album 6, Album 7, Album 8, Album 9, Album 10, Album 11

Click here to see last week's Picture of the Week.
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RCCM is featured in the current edition of the Good News Rochester, Click here to read it now!

Click here for the schedule, and much more information about the 40th anniversary celebration