Cathedral repairs to begin within months

The Catholic church says it hopes to begin making roof and ceiling repairs to the cathedral. Curia Vice Chancellor Rigoberto Jara said he is working on raising the funds for the work and says he will seek money from both the church and the public.

A study by the University of Cuenca school of architecture says that work should begin immediately to stop and repair damage caused by water intrusion on the cathedral ceiling. The study found a build-up of fungi and lichens near cracks in the ceiling which it says were not properly sealed during construction a century ago. It also shows that the original measures to divert rainfall from the roof were poorly planned.

Discoloration from leaks is clealy visible on the cathedral ceiling.

Jara says that $800,000 is needed to begin the work while another $200,000 to $300,000 will be required to finish it.