Facelift For The Pro-Cathedral

The Pro-Cathedral is to have a facelift Bishop Jean-Louis Plouffe announced today.

The Catholic Centre has become cost prohibitive to operate so the Diocese of Sault Ste-Marie will be dismantling the centre and making way for some much-needed parking.

Full details are contained in the release below.

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His Excellency, Jean-Louis Plouffe, Bishop of the Diocese of Sault Ste-Marie, announced today to Pro-Cathedral parishioners, that the adjoining Catholic Centre will be dismantled.

Bishop Plouffe said that the Centre, built in the early 1960s, and previously used for a variety of services, is now one of the diocese’s under-used buildings in North Bay. The cost of continuing to maintain and heat the Centre is prohibitive. “The annual financial shortfall to operate the building is $70,000.00,” he said.

He explained that, “the cost of upgrading the building to meet current construction code standards is not practical and simply not affordable.”

Outreach services currently operating from the Centre, including the Food Bank and Clothing Depot, and organizations including Birthright, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Regional Marriage Preparation sessions, the teachers’ unions and the Cana bookstore are in the process of re-locating.

Bishop Plouffe said that his residence, currently in the Catholic Centre building, will be relocated in the Pro-Cathedral Rectory.

“The dismantling of the building will permit us to enhance the physical surroundings of the Pro-Cathedral and the rectory, provide much-needed additional parking and also allow us the possibility of future development on the property,” said the Bishop.

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