Gold-plated crosses return to Notre-Dame Cathedral towers in Ho Chi Minh City

The crosses were placed on the cathedral’s bell towers following their removal in 2023 as part of ongoing renovation works.

The event was attended by Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Nang, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam, Archbishop Marek Zalewski, the Vatican’s resident representative to Vietnam, and Reverend Ignatius Ho Van Xuan, head of the cathedral’s restoration committee.

Xuan said the reinstallation marked an important step in the restoration of the 146-year-old cathedral, which has faced challenges since work began in 2017.

Built in 1877 and inaugurated in 1880 under a mix of Romanesque and Gothic styles, Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral is one of the most prominent architectural landmarks in Ho Chi Minh City.

The new crosses were manufactured by Monument Group in Belgium and gilded by Giusto Manetti in Italy, a company specializing in gold leaf.

Each cross stands 3.73 meters tall, measures 1.85 meters wide, and weighs about 400 kg, with an expected lifespan of up to 100 years.

The original crosses, which had stood for 128 years, were removed in June 2023 due to severe corrosion and could not be restored, prompting the decision to replace them.

Restoration work on the cathedral is ongoing, and no completion date has been projected, according to Xuan.