‘It feels wonderful’: Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist unveils renovated spires, bells toll once again

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - An exciting day on Thursday for one of downtown Savannah’s more iconic landmarks.

The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist unveiled its renovation of its twin spires, which have been out of commission for the past year.

For the last year or so, the bells here at Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in downtown Savannah have not rung, and scaffolding surrounded the Spires on top, but now the bells are ringing again, and the spires are visible for millions to see.

“It feels wonderful,” Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist Monsignor Jerry Schreck said. “I am so thankful for Omar for his foresight in discovering this problem and the engineers who helped us. It feels wonderful to know that they are stable and secure, and I love to hear the bell.”

The bells now being heard across downtown were held silent when a church staffer noticed that the metal superstructure in the Spires was corroding and rusting at an accelerated pace last year.

So, crews were called in, over 500 tons of steel rods were taken out, and replaced to stabilize the structure and preserve an iconic part of the city’s skyline.

West Construction Company oversaw the renovation and saw zero crew members get hurt through the process.

They say it was a difficult project that had crews working nearly 100 feet in the air and involved meticulous attention to detail.

Job Superintendent Jeff Wigger says just being able to work on this project is something he will remember for the rest of his life.

“Being able to be part of the Cathedral Basilica is a monumental achievement for me, where I can say I was a part of that building once,” Wigger said.

$2.5 million was spent on this restoration, and officials say it will not only add stability to the structure but also keep the bells ringing for years to come.