OLD ST. VINCENT'S CHURCH AWAITS ITS RENAISSANCE

"On this rock I will build my church," Jesus declared to Simon Peter nearly 2000 years ago.

A similar phrase probably crossed the lips of Bishop Joseph Rosati, C.M., on April 30, 1838, when he laid the cornerstone of the original St. Vincent Church in Cape Girardeau.

And just as Jesus continued with a promise, "and the jaws of death shall not prevail against it," so, too, have more than 60 members of the Old St. Vincent Group and countless others left unnamed vowed to protect the old church since it faced the hands of destruction 20 years ago.

"I would have fought them tooth and nail if they would have decided to tear that church down," said Anthony Dohogne, a member of Friends of Old St. Vincents Inc., the group in charge of the church's restoration efforts.

But Dohogne's ties to Old St. Vincent began long before the church began to lose its original prestige. He was baptized at the church in 1927.

Every sight -- the pull-chains that hung from the windows that now are nailed shut.

Every sound -- the soles of his new shoes against the hardwood floors every year at Christmas time.

"I hated to see that carpet go on because I love hardwood floors," he lamented. "But I know the carpet will protect it."

That's what's important, protecting the stories told by the church walls and reflecting the time and tradition mirrored by its post-Reformation English Gothic style architecture.

Only six structures of this style exist in the United States and few remain in the world after many were damaged or destroyed in Europe during World war II.

The arches and the arch-topped windows and doors define the main difference between the English and Roman Gothic influences. Whereas Roman Gothic used circular arches, English Gothic arches had a more pointed top.

"Some people tear these old buildings down entirely too quick," Dohogne said. "The architecture needs to be preserved so that the young people coming up know what it was like back then."

"What it was like" is seen in the eight towering columns leading to the sanctuary. In 1987, they were marbleized with strokes of ivory, blues and pinks to illustrate the Gothic Renaissance in Europe.

"In Europe, they hit hard times and the architects had to find techniques to fake marble," Dohogne explained. "The same technique was researched and followed by our architect, which put the columns right in line with the tradition of that time."

More than 100 plaster masks hanging adjacent to all the doors and windows were recast at the same time as the column restorations. The medieval designs portrayed characters from the Miracle and Mystery plays such as Good, Evil, Comedy and Tragedy, depicting a time when theater was central in entertainment.

Pews refurbished 10 years ago document specific religious practices. They have the same doors, dividers and number designations used when parish families rented their pews.

"With the restoration, we have to show that this was the way it was," Dogohne said. "The church has got its own history, its own story."

So with approximately $1 million in donations, bequests and raised funds, an architect named Theodore Wofford of Murphy, Downey, Wofford & Richman Architects of St. Louis and countless devoted volunteers, the rock stands firm and the stories remain told.

"The building is in better condition now than it has been in possibly 100 years," Dohogne said. "Wofford told us this church would be good for 200 years and that our grandchildren would have the pleasure of seeing it."

But once upon a time, tomorrows' grandchildren might have missed yesterday's trademarks.

When a new St. Vincent Church was constructed in 1976, the future of the original church was in question. Bishop Bernard Law answered that question on Dec. 1, 1977, when he designated Old St. Vincent as a Chapel of Ease, a religious and cultural center that could take the Sunday overflow from other Catholic churches.

Although $150,000 had been spent on exterior renovations, substantially more work remained paramount. A new exterior renovation began the following year.

The majority of mending had to be done in the windows, woodwork and columns standing beneath the nine intertwining arches of the slowly rotting edifice.

Preliminary plans for interior work were drawn up in July 1983, but it wasn't until exactly two years later that Friends of Old St. Vincents formed and kicked off a fundraising campaign that raised more than $200,000.

A St. Louis company used $13,000 to create duplicates of three deteriorated stained-glass windows removed from Old St. Vincent in November 1967. Now, the western setting sun captures the colors of St. Vincent de Paul and a child looking over the consecrated structure's trademark, a liturgical altar containing the relics of saints Peter, Paul, Andrew and Vincent.

"There's not too many consecrated churches around here," Dohogne said. "It's what makes Old St. Vincent different from other churches that are just blessed."

A church must meet two qualifications to be consecrated: be debt-free, and have a liturgical altar, one built on its own foundation separate from the church's.

Old St. Vincent' liturgical altar had been altered over the years. A couple married in the church donated a photograph of their wedding to the church's museum. The altar in the photo was used as a model to construct a duplicate of the original.

One of the biggest, most impressive undertakings was the artwork, Dohogne said. Artisan Decorators of St. Louis painted the church's sanctuary and ceiling with four layers of stenciled designs. The final application took more than $6,600 of gold leaf paint.

Present goals include purchasing a different organ as well as hand-carved English Gothic sanctuary benches and table.

Dohogne admits that although much of the restoration is complete, efforts mustn't cease to preserve the rediscovered treasure.

"Now that we have done it, we have to maintain it and sure that it doesn't deteriorate," he said. "I just wish I could name all the people who have donated time and money."

HISTORY OF CHURCH, RESTORATION

-1825 The Rev. John Timon C.M., a Vincentian priest, assigned to work in Perry and Cape Girardeau counties.

-July 8, 1833 St. Vincent Church community formed under the Rev. Timon, C.M., who celebrated Mass in the first temporary church, an old warehouse near the waterfront.

-April 30, 1838 Cornerstone laid for original Old St. Vincent Church.

-1850 Tornado destroyed original church.

-1851 Construction of the present Old St. Vincent Church began using the native stone foundation.

-1853 Bishop Peter Kenrick of St. Louis consecrated Old St. Vincent Church.

-1900 A spire of undetermined height erected on the occasion of the golden jubilee.

-1905 Steeple tower struck by lightning and replaced by a shorter one.

-1912 Again, steeple tower struck by lightning and replaced.

-1926 Solid oak, hand-carved doors 3.25 inches thick donated to the church.

-1950s Stucco removed due to trapped rainwater and original bricks repaired.

-Nov. 17, 1976 Three stained-glass windows removed to be used in new church, but were too deteriorated for use.

-Dec. 8, 1976 The New St. Vincent Church dedicated.

-Dec. 1, 1977 Old St. Vincent designated "Chapel of Ease," a religious and cultural center. To date $150,000 raised and spent on exterior renovations.

-1978 New exterior renovation began.

-April 12, 1982 Church placed on National Register of Historic Buildings.

-July 1, 1983 Preliminary plans made for interior renovations of windows, trusses, columns, walls and ceiling.

-June 10, 1985 Friends of Old St. Vincents Inc. formed to be in charge of renovations.

-June 23, 1985 New copper roof replaced asphalt, shingled roof for $75,000. Wall-stencilling began.

-July 31, 1985 Fundraising campaign kicked off. Goal-$400,000 Raised-$200,000

-Aug. 2, 1985 $175,000 had been spent on renovation in the past eight years.

-Nov. 18, 1985 Pews removed for restoration.

-Aug. 25-Dec. 27, 198 -Artisan Decorators of St. Louis duplicated and installed original stained-glass windows using native pieces of glass.

-Aug. 17, 1986 $203,000 spent to date.

-May 29, 1987 Refurbishment of walls and woodwork completed. Marbled columns and pews neared completion. Sanding of hardwood floors started.

-April 15, 1990 Other refurbishments to date: Sanctuary and aisles carpeted; original liturgical altar duplicated; outside waterproofed; new air conditioning and heating units, sound system and gutter and drainage system installed; electric systems redone; interior art work completed on walls, arches, sanctuary and balcony.

-1991-1992 Stations of the cross and statues restored.

-July 7, 1993 Custom-made brass light fixtures installed.

-March 18, 1995 Donations of items begun for a new museum to be opened in two months.

-1997 Looking to purchase English Gothic furniture for sanctuary and a different organ.