Two days after the D.C. earthquake, it's become clear that one of the biggest victims was the National Cathedral, which suffered a partial collapse of three of the four spires on its main tower. Fortunately, there was no structural damage, but unfortunately, the building didn't have earthquake insurance. How much will it cost to fix the spires, which are almost 100 years old?

Continue reading

Millions. (How many millions? They haven't said.) The cathedral is already a perilous position, financially speaking; the recession led to a massive budget cut and layoffs. An official told the Post that the last year has seen strong fundraising, but they'll need it to be even stronger in the coming year.

The cathedral will be closed through Saturday, while engineers examine the building. The service dedicated to Martin Luther King, Jr. will be moved to Catholic University's Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, but the cathedral expects the Sept. 11th commemoration to go on as planned.