St. Louis archbishop assesses damage to Old Cathedral in Palm Sunday storm

ST. LOUIS • Overnight wind and rain left thousands of Ameren customers without power Sunday morning and the Old Cathedral in downtown without part of its historic roof.

“They say God’s always got a plan,” St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson said in an interview while assessing the damage. “I think we are going to have to wait for him to reveal what this one is.”

A top layer of lead-covered copper was blown off the west side of the building overnight. About 10:30 a.m. Sunday, another large section on the east side of the roof also began sliding off the structure.

There is a layer of wooden decking under the roof covering, but water penetrated the interior plaster ceiling. Officials are unsure of the extent of the interior damage. Several pots were scattered among the pews to catch dripping water. An emergency crew arrived to spread tarps on the roof and cut up remaining debris.

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