Louis Sullivan-designed cathedral, wonder of priests who want to destroy a place dedicated to peace and love

Light from the just-rising sun streamed into the church through the stained glass, illuminating the golden halo of 4th-century bishops, various saints, and the statues of Christ adorning the walls.

A faint scent of incense remained.

In the center stood the Reverend Alexandre Coranda, wearing a black cassock and a matching pointed squffia on his head. Around his neck hung a heavy silver cross.

“It’s an incredible time because you really have the day. The sun is coming up. It’s penetrating the windows and it’s amazing,” said the married father of three small children. Coranda, 33, said.

But the cathedral bell tower of the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, a 120-year-old jewel of a Louis Sullivan-designed building, had no daylight at all. He is one of his two houses of worship designed by the architect. Plywood covered the stained-glass windows of the bell tower. On January 26, trolls threw stones and broke the glass. When Coranda arrived that morning, he found the bell tower strewn with shattered glass, twisted lead, and crumbling plaster.

The cathedral, which Sullivan wrote about in 1900, had a price tag of $16,000, but recently underwent a series of costly renovations, including work on all the windows. Coranda said repairs to the three windows would likely cost about $5,000.

“What’s more frustrating than the time and money we put into it is that we do so much for the community here… there are so many people who love this place,” he said. Coranda said. “It’s disappointing that those who have done it don’t realize the love for people in the community is here.”

Coranda said there was no video surveillance at the cathedral and he did not expect anyone to be arrested for a crime.

I don’t know who will target the cathedral. The original parishioners were immigrants from Slavic countries. A plaque on the front of the church calls its foundation in 1892 “Holy”. Russian Orthodox Church in Vladimir. ‘ Sullivan’s design reflects that legacy, with a gleaming onion dome and octagonal spire. However, the design also blends Byzantine and Celtic details.

He said that when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, passers-by would sometimes yell at Kolanda because he had locked the church that day. Some came inside the church — shouting sometimes in English, sometimes in Ukrainian.

Some refer to their hatred of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Others will ask why Coranda did not speak publicly about the church’s opposition to the war.

“Our position will always be peace. So we will never support war. There is no political agenda here at all,” he said.

The neighborhood has seen many ups and downs over the years, he said.

“There have been carjackings and a few robberies on this street alone,” he said.

Kolanda is the 12-step program offered by the church, the weekly hot meals served to the homeless, the prayers his congregation recites for people around the world, and the clothing on the sidewalk outside the church. We talked about a giant unlocked box filled with

One recent Friday an elderly woman stood in the snow and got her chest pierced. She was looking for her clothes not only for herself but also for her friends.One day she reached out her hand and pulled out a blue and white woolen scarf. She smiled and wrapped the scarf around her neck.