CLEVELAND — Devastation came without warning on May 28 when a fire ravaged St Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood.
Water used to stop flames also proved destructive to the 113-year-old anchor in the community.
"We feel very blessed that we can repair our church… it’s something salvageable,” said Fr. Jan Cizmar of St Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral.
The Cleveland Fire Department ruled the fire accidental- caused by roofers doing restoration work.
Watch News 5's May 28 report showing firefighters battling flames
Friday, a little more than six weeks after the fire, I went back to check on recovery efforts.
“Right now we are giving services next door in our Parish Hall,” Cizmar said. “The community stays together which is the greatest blessing."
Getting the sanctuary back together is a colossal undertaking.
The church’s main copper dome has been dismantled, and scaffolding is being used to shore up the roof.
"It will help us to work on the temporary roof… and will allow workers to build a permanent roof underneath so they hopefully will be able to work on the roof throughout the whole winter,” Cizmar said.
“Will that main dome return?" I asked him.
“We hope so. We hope and pray that the main dome will be rebuilt exactly as it was,” Cizmar said.
Intricate pieces, including stained glass windows, a Bohemian crystal chandelier from Europe and frescoes painted onto original plaster suffered damage too.
“We’re a national landmark. We’re on the registry. We need to put it back how it was,” said Parish Council President Denise Pozderac. "It is very detailed work. It takes specific kind of artists to do what we need to do."
The church is using local experts and companies with experience in historic restoration. Cizmar said they also plan to call upon the expertise of a Russian-born artist, Sergei Mitrofanov, who they’ve used before when it’s time to repaint frescoes.
“He’s very good,” Cizmar said. “So, we are happy that God is sending us the right people.”
The journey has been a lesson in patience and faith.
Watch News 5's May 29 report as parishioners gathered for a special prayer service
“A lot of our church community are children or grandchildren of immigrants so they're very resilient. Their forefathers were resilient (and) that's carried through,” Pozderac said.
The Cleveland Restoration Society said historic building bounce-backs matter because they’re part of the city’s fabric.
“They are often the largest, most impressive building in the neighborhood and serve as an anchor, but also, as an important gathering place in the community,” said Margaret Lann, director of preservation services and publications with the Cleveland Restoration Society. “They tell the story of immigrants who came from other countries, like the ones those that built St. Theodosius, migrants who came from the South, who eventually took on stewardship of many of these older buildings and are now our historic Black churches in the city."
Cizmar is counting down the days to when pews, not scaffolding, fill the sanctuary. He said the goal is to return to the main building in 12 to 18 months.
“We know that we will be working on frescoes and plaster for some years, but as long as we will be able to fix the roof and clean the charring we are ready to worship here,” Cizmar said.
He said the church has insurance, but fundraising continues to fill in gaps. Donations can be sent through GoFundMe and Tithely.
