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SAVANNAH, Ga. — A significant restoration effort in downtown Savannah is finally reaching its conclusion. The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, a prominent fixture in Savannah’s skyline, is emerging stronger after its renowned twin spires underwent extensive restoration. This marks the resolution of structural issues that have persisted for over ten years.
This week, project leaders are shedding light on the scale and significance of the undertaking. Since the 1890s, the cathedral’s towering spires have been a defining feature of the city. Yet, only by stepping back can one truly appreciate the enormity of the restoration effort that took place this year.
Scaffolding enveloped the cathedral beginning in early 2025, though the groundwork for the project commenced the previous year.
“The project officially started on December 12, 2024,” explained Bishop Stephen D. Parkes, who became the fifteenth bishop of the diocese of Savannah in 2020, appointed by Pope Francis. “That date coincides with Our Lady of Guadalupe Day in our church, symbolizing, in a way, how she watched over us. Her guidance was felt as we navigated numerous change orders and expenses, ensuring we stayed close to our budget,” he noted.
Bishop Parkes delivered a heartfelt speech outside the cathedral during a ceremony commemorating the project’s completion and ushering in a new era for the church. The ceremony concluded with the joyous ringing of bells, symbolizing the completion of the most comprehensive restoration the Cathedral Basilica has experienced in over a century.
“It feels wonderful to know that they are stable and secure, and I love to hear the bell,” said Monsignor Gerry Schreck, the rector of the Cathedral Basilica.
For months, crews worked nearly 100 feet in the air to stabilize the iconic twin spires after engineers discovered structural cracks and corroded steel hidden deep inside the towers.
“The structural members were embedded in masonry, which, over the years, just rusted away. Luckily, I caught it in one of the inspections,” said Omar Elkhalidi, the building manager and preservation consultant for the cathedral.
The nearly $2.6 million project required crews to carry eight-and-a-half tons of new steel up scaffolding and carefully install it inside the spires—much of it in spaces no one outside the project would ever see.
“Our work is mainly invisible to the public, because all of our work was mainly structural work performed inside the rooms at the many different levels of the spires,” said Jeff Wigger, the job site superintendent for the Cathedral Basilica project.
After months of careful work, the scaffolding is gone, and the spires now stand strong and secure.
“Being able to be part of the Cathedral Basilica is a monumental achievement for me,” shared Wigger.
Leaders say this was the most extensive project done on the cathedral in over 120 years. There were no injuries, a safe completion, and this week, the bells of the cathedral are ringing consistently once again.