by Tom Gallagher
December 16, 2014
If cleanliness is next to godliness, Saint Patrick's Cathedral just scored some points with the big man upstairs.
The venerable house of worship unveiled a brighter new pressure-washed Fifth Avenue facade on Friday -- tearing down the scaffolding that masked it for more than two years.
It's the first time the 135-year-old cathedral has undergone this type of restoration -- which called for workers to spray its marble exterior with a mixture of water and glass beads to remove decades' worth of dirt and gunk, according to St. Pat's reps.
"It's a striking transformation ... We're really excited. It's a beautiful testimony to a place that's near and dear to New Yorkers," said Kate Monaghan, a spokeswoman for St. Pat's.
