Cleveland, September 24, 2026
Photo: Yahoo! News
Some of the iconic copper domes of St. Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood were lifted back onto the roof last Wednesday, more than two years after a devastating fire tore through the church.
The domes were removed after a May 28, 2024 fire that investigators say started during work on one of the copper domes. The blaze burned through the roof and caused extensive damage to the upper walls, and there was initially concern the cathedral would need to be demolished due to structural damage. The church was ultimately saved by the removal of the unstable domes.
St. Theodosius 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.
The cost of restoring the cathedral has climbed to an estimated $17 million. The church’s insurance carrier is covering $10 million, and St. Theodosius has raised $1 million in donations so far, leaving a $6 million shortfall.
Fr. Jan Cizmar, dean of St. Theodosius, compared the restoration to the Biblical account of creation. “God didn’t create the whole world in one day, but it took him six days, right, and then He took a rest, so one step at a time. We do this stage first now,” he said.
“It’s not frustrating at this point. It’s really encouraging to see the progress being made. I have to say the people are really happy. They finally see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Fr. Jan told reporters.
The parish is hoping enough progress will be made by mid-2027 to hold Easter services inside the cathedral again.
Repairs to the roof are expected to be completed in December, with plaster replacement inside the sanctuary planned for April. Fr. Jan said the broader timetable for restoring the church and returning all the domes to their places is ultimately in the hands of God. “Day three of creation, so we clean up all the mess, we re-build the roof. Now the domes came back and then there will be day four, five, six and seven,” he said.
The final phase of the restoration will be placing the largest dome back on the roof, and the parish is now working to raise the funds needed to complete that part of the project.
You can donate to the cathedral’s restoration via its tithe.ly and GoFundMe fundraisers.
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