GUANGZHOU, China (UCAN) – Historic Sacred Heart Cathedral of Guangzhou diocese (pic'd here), the only granite Gothic church in mainland China, is scheduled to reopen on Feb. 9, following more than two years of renovation work.An 8:30 a.m. Mass at the cathedral will formally mark the occasion, Father Joseph Gan Junqiu of Guangzhou told UCA News on Feb. 7. He will preside at the liturgy, he said.
Commonly known as "Stone House Church" because its walls and pillars were built with large granite blocks, the cathedral is in downtown Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, 1,930 kilometers (about 1,200 miles) south of Beijing.
The third full-scale renovation in the cathedral's history started in July 2004. It included replacement of the roof and stained glass windows, cleaning and repairing of the granite walls, and reinstallation of a mechanical clock and bronze bells in the two bell towers. Meanwhile, the lighting, sound system and furniture were upgraded and more greenery was planted in the church compound. The previous renovations were conducted in the 1920s and 1980s.
Father Gan told UCA News on Jan. 30 that the celebration will include a Mass, speeches by provincial and city government officials and a meal.
Ahead of the official reopening, Sunday Masses in Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, English and Korean, as well as weekday Masses, resumed at the cathedral beginning on Dec. 17.
Father Gan expects the cathedral's new look to aid evangelization in the diocese. "Local media have reported the cathedral renovation, and many people will be attracted to the historic site," explained the 42-year-old priest, whom the Vatican recently approved as bishop-elect of Guangzhou.
The city government has contributed 21 million yuan ($2.7 million USD), about 80 percent of the total renovation cost of 26 million yuan. The diocese, despite a tight budget, contributed 3 million yuan and raised another 2 million from Catholics, Father Gan said.
In 1996, China's State Council listed the cathedral as a national historical monument.
The cathedral was built over 25 years, from 1863 to 1888, with French missioners overseeing the work. It was inspired by Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, but the architects incorporated two additional 60-meter-tall bell towers with octagonal steeples. With a floor area of 2,754 square meters, the Guangzhou cathedral is one of the largest Gothic churches in China.
According to Father Gan, as part of the latest renovation, all the church windows are fitted with stained glass, designed and produced in the Philippines, depicting Bible stories and saints. Beside the altar is a pair of windowpanes portraying Italian Jesuit Father Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) and Catholic Chinese imperial official Paul Xu Guangqi (1562-1633).
The Gothic church suffered severe damage during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) and the Civil War between Kuomintang (nationalist party) and Communist troops that 
bracketed the war with Japan.
During the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), some stone pillars and all the fixtures in the cathedral such as altars, furniture and statues of saints were destroyed. The church was then used as a warehouse.
On the wall behind the main altar are traces of the Cultural Revolution, which are being preserved as a testament to China's history, Father Gan explained. After bricks had been removed and the wall washed, huge slogans in red paint were revealed: "Long live Chairman Mao (Zedong)," "Working class must exercise leadership of everything." Damage to the granite blocks still is visible.
A temporary 700-square-meter chapel was constructed in the church compound and used during the renovation.
A second phase of renovation is being considered within the next 10 years to make more space in the church compound. This would include dismantling the temporary chapel and rebuilding a convent in the compound. The diocese will make concrete plans and come up with a budget for this, Father Gan said.
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