A new look for a dour old Boston cathedral

From Boston-

A crane lifted the large piece of sculpture and placed it within the empty pediment of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, high above Tremont Street, on a recent sunny morning. A four-man crew fixed the piece in place, attaching it to a bright blue backdrop that will be lit at night when the new look for a very old church is formally celebrated on Wednesday.

In traveling 60 feet skyward, the piece, made of hand-formed aluminum and weighing 650 pounds, completed a journey that, in a sense, began nearly 200 years ago.

Until now, St. Paul’s, with its stately sandstone columns and recessed granite facade, has not had a very interesting exterior, said The Very Rev. John “Jep” Streit, dean of the Episcopal church, as he watched the installation from the sidewalk.

“People think it’s a bank or a courthouse,” said Streit, who wore a Red Sox baseball cap with his khaki suit and clerical collar. “We wanted something that would say, ‘What’s going on in there? Let’s go see.’ We wanted to invite people inside.”

More here-

http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/2013/05/04/boston-paul-cathedral-sculptural-pediment-fills-space-left-vacant-nearly-years/NDoJxvk20OalWiexjbNOKK/story.html