My dear friends in Christ,

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the restored Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist. After a year-and-ahalf of work, the 124-year-old Mother Church of the Savannah Diocese sparkles again with refurbished original murals and stained glass. A new altar of sacrifice and baptismal font have been fashioned out of Carrara marble, with designs taken from the reredos (the old high altar). A new confessional, allowing penitents to confess face-to-face or behind a grill has been carved for the Cathedral, as has a handsome new pulpit featuring engravings of the four evangelists. A one-of-a-kind ambry for the holy oils has been commissioned for this church and a new tabernacle made as a fitting place for the reservation of the Most Blessed Sacrament. These are but the more obvious aspects of the restoration, which also included a new roof and countless structural repairs and improvements.

The massive work of restoring this beloved church was made possible by the generosity of the People of God in south Georgia. I am most grateful to all who contributed to renewing the luster of this hallowed place of worship.

The Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist is now ready to serve the needs of God’s worshiping people well into the new millennium. It is my hope that your visit to this jewel of a church will inspire you to worship God in this holy place.

Your friend in Christ,

J. Kevin Boland
Bishop of Savannah