ARCHDIOCESE OF AGANA Cuesta Sin Ramen Agana, Guar 96810 Tel 671) sTz6136 Fax (671) 773519 Anchbishop’s Office IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. AMEN ‘10 THE GLORY OF ALMIGHTY GOD and in honor ofthe Sweet Nam: ofthe ever _slorious Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, on this the 20* day of April in the Year of Our ‘Lord One Thousand Nine Hundred and Ninety-cight; His holiness Pope John Paul, gloriously seigning, the honorable Wiliam Jefferson Clinton being President ofthe United States of America and ‘Carl T.C. Gutierrez, Governor of Guam, WE Anthony Sablan Apuron by the grace of God and the favor ofthe Apostolic See ‘Metropolitan Archbishop of Agana, Guam together with bshops from the neighboring dioceses, the diocesan and religious clergy of the Metropofian Arcdiocese of Agana andthe faithful ofthe island of Guam as wellas many friends and neighbors both of our Fath and not members thereof, gather to once agein dedicate this restored Cathedal-asiic standing on a spot hallowed by chapels, churches and cathedrals ofthe pat years since February 2, 1669 wien the Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores, of the Society of Jesus, first Catholic misionary to this area, ceicated here a small chapel in honor of the Sweet Name of Mary. Time, Sr, earthquske, t7phoon and war have eartid these buildings to their destruction. On this day inthe year 1958 my predecessor of happy memory, the late Bishop Apolinars Wiliam Beumgariner, OFM Cap, DD, d Aestroyed in the year 1944, in the conse ofthe Rattle of Guam between the forces of the Imperial red the present Cathedrl-Basiic, to take the place of the one utterly Japanese, who had occupied the island, and the armies of the United States of America which were retaking the teriory. In that battle almost all of our villages, homes, schools and churches as wel 18s many business establishments and other institutions were destroyed. Since the dedication ofthis present Cathedalin 1958, the unrelenting forces of nature and time have taken their toll on this holydice, Having decided to restore and renew the Cathedral-Basilc, the work of restoration which ‘began in January of 1996 is now nearing its completion. The work of restoration saw the replacement of the roof; the installation of a new floor in the center nave, the east and west wings, and the instalation ofa new ceiling, the restoration of the baldachino and main crucifix; the restoration of the the sanctuary, the restoration and placement of new marble floor, the extension of the upper floor of the sanctuary iche upon whichis venerated the statue of Our Lady Santa Marian Kamelen, upon wich the pontifical shal stand; the transfer ofthe pontifical ltr to a new location about five feet due sezth in the direction of the center nave; the reduction on the size of the width of the pontifical altar being cut twelve inches on both sides; the construction ofa front portico to surround the obelisk of Our Lady; the addition of a museum and conference room flanking the west and east sides ofthe center nave; in addition to these major additions and renovations, there are more which has been done and which are yet to be completed. On this, the 40" anniversary of the dedication of the Cathedral, we gather to dedicate once agin this newly restored and renovated house of prayer to the glory of God and in honor ofthe Sweet Name of Mary, the Mother of God. Done at Agana, Guam, this 20° day of April Nineteen Hundred Ninety-cight Iaiiflainn diy Ae oo ‘Most Reverend Anthiny Sablan Afuron, FM Qap., DD. Metropolifin Archbishop of Agana -Dialce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basiica Loti A ash ‘Rev, Father Adrian Loreto Finons Cristobal (Chancellor, Archdiocese of Agana Winnesses: