Cleveland, March 23, 2026
St. Theodosius Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Two years after a devastating fire, restoration work has prayerfully begun at the Orthodox Church in America’s St. Theodosius Cathedral in Cleveland.
A massive fire broke out in late May 2024, causing millions of dollars in damages. The blaze was ruled an accident, caused by roofing work. Damages were initially estimated at $1 million, but it quickly became that more than $10 million were needed to restore the historic building to its former glory.
The cathedral, built in 1911–1912, is formally recognized as a Cleveland landmark and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The church that preceded the cathedral was built with donations from Royal Martyr Nicholas II of Russia.
St. Theodosius Orthodox Christian Cathedral
The church itself is currently closed, with services being held in the parish hall.
Yesterday, the parish community celebrated a moleben for the beginning of the restoration work, which begins today, reports WKYC Channel 3.
“We didn’t feel that we could start that without proper prayers and asking God’s help and our patron saint St. Theodosius to pray to God for us,” said Fr. John Zdinak.
According to the report, the cost of restoration now sits at $17 million. The cathedral is still accepting donations, which can be offered online through on Tithely.
Watch the WKYC report:
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