I hope you had a wonderful Saint Patrick’s Day, complete with the green beverage of your choice! 

The doors of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City are massive and amazing…unfortunately they’ve been temporarily been removed for restoration work, but with a little help from the internet I can still show you these beautiful bronze doors in honor of Saint Patrick’s Day.

Saint Patrick was known as the “Apostle of Ireland,” and died on March 17th (year unknown), the day we celebrate as Saint Patrick’s Day.  Construction on Saint Patrick’s Cathedral began in 1858, and the (original) doors were opened in 1879.  The cathedral is currently undergoing a 3-year, $175-million renovation, to restore and preserve this beautiful building.  I found it interesting to read that the original fee for the design of the cathedral by famed architect James Renwick was approximately $850,000.  I wonder how that compares to today’s prices.

The 9,000-pound bronze door leaves by sculptor John Angel, were added to the cathedral in the renovation that took place in the 1940’s.  According to the Smithsonian Institution, “Six figures in high relief are arranged in two vertical rows on the doors. The figures represented in the top row are St. Joseph and St. Patrick; in the middle row are Father Isaac Jogues, the first priest to celebrate mass on Manhattan Island and Mother Frances Cabrini, an Italian-American nun who was canonized; in the next row are Kateri Tekawitha of the Mohawks and Mother Seton, who became the first American born saint. Above the doors is a tympanum with a standing Christ figure in the center and the twelve apostles, six on each side of him. The figures of the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist flank the head of Christ just above the apostles. A lamb appears just under the feet of Christ.”

St. Joseph (Photo: Peter Roan)

Saint Frances X Cabrini (Photo: Peter Roan)

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha (Photo: Eric Etheridge) and Saint Elizabeth Seton (Photo: Qabluna)

Saint Patrick and Saint Joseph (Photos: Wally Gobetz)

Renovation (Photo: New York Post)

I can’t wait to go and see the restored doors when they’re reinstalled!  Road trip, anyone?

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