Renovations to St. Andrew’s Catholic Church almost complete

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - Major renovations to St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Roanoke began eight years ago. Now the work to secure the future of the Roanoke landmark is almost complete.

Members of St. Andrew’s Catholic Church celebrated mass inside the century-old structure Sunday, even as the work continued.

But the scaffolding that obscured the interior has been removed, giving the congregation a fresh look at a familiar space.

“The first thing I noticed was how beautiful and bright the church was,” said church member Katie Pyne.

There is much to appreciate in the latest phase of renovations, from the stations of the cross that were carefully repainted, to the fresh layers of gold leaf, and the lower walls painted to match the white marble floors.

Father Kevin Segerblom is the pastor of St. Andrew’s.

“Someone was just commenting to me the other day. It’s like we have a new church,” he told WDBJ7.

The interior work is the culmination of a multi-million-dollar project that began with the replacement of the steeples, and came to include a new slate roof, restoration of the building’s masonry exterior, and the renovations inside that are almost complete.

Wayne Gould is the facilities maintenance coordinator at St. Andrew’s and project manager for the renovations.

“Very pleased the way that everything has turned out and hopefully we have this building for the next generation to enjoy,” he said.

St. Andrew’s will welcome the community to take a closer look at the renovations during open houses on September 17 and 18. The church is planning a rededication in November.

“I feel so good that we’ve taken care of it,” said Father Segerblom. “This is such a beloved landmark for many people in Roanoke.”

“It’s a beautiful place to worship,” added Pyne, “and to share with the rest of the community.”

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