“A Disaster Waiting to Happen”: $17 Million Later, Dominica’s Roseau Cathedral Still Needs More

• About $17 million has been spent renovating the Roseau Catholic Cathedral in Dominica
• Around $4.7 million more is needed to finish the work
• The project began as a $3 million roof repair but uncovered asbestos and structural weaknesses
• A new spire was installed and the bell tower retrofitted in March 2024

The renovation of Dominica’s Roseau Catholic Cathedral has cost far more than anyone expected. Dominica News Online reported on 22 July 2024 that about $17 million had been spent so far, and that around $4.7 million more was needed to complete the project.

The figures were given by Simeon Joseph, a key figure in the renovation, at a ceremony at Douglas-Charles Airport to welcome Bishop-elect Fr Kenrick Forbes. Joseph explained that the project began with a budget of $3 million for roof repairs only, but problems emerged at every stage. The roof contained asbestos that required specialised removal at a cost of $750,000; the walls had no reinforcement; the flooring had no substructure; and the internal pillars needed rebuilding. “It was a disaster waiting to happen,” he said.

The cathedral, nearly 150 years old, was built of limestone using traditional stone-on-stone construction without steel reinforcement. The work so far has included a new roof structure, a strengthened foundation, a new floor slab, new columns and arches, and, in March 2024, the installation of a new spire and retrofitting of the bell tower.

What remains includes tiling, the ceiling, electrical systems, finishing the organ restoration and the historical restoration of paintings, mosaics, stained glass and archaeological features. An international food fair was planned for October, with newly appointed committees organising further fundraising.

The story is a textbook case of how a repair project on an old building can become a near-total reconstruction. The discoveries were costly, but leaving an unreinforced stone building to face the next major hurricane would have been far riskier.

Jamaica has many historic stone and brick churches built without modern reinforcement, some already damaged by Hurricane Melissa. Roseau’s experience shows why a full structural survey should come before any repair budget is fixed, and why congregations should plan for contingencies. For diaspora supporters, it is also a reminder that making an old church safe can take a decade and many millions, and that sustained giving matters more than a single appeal.

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