Why Are The Stained Glass Windows At St. Patrick’s Cathedral Covered Up?

I drove by St. Patrick’s Cathedral on my way home and was surprised to see some sort of coverings on the windows on the Mesa side of the church.

Here is a closer view:

I spoke to St. Patrick's office employees and they said that they didn't know about coverings on the windows. I called the Diocese and spoke to an employee at the Diocese Catholic Properties department. It turns out there are not coverings on the windows, but there is a reason why it looks like there are. The cathedral is undergoing an extensive renovation, and part of that renovation is removing old plexiglass sheets that protected the stained glass windows from vandalism and the weather. The plexiglass has become discolored and will be replaced by clear plexiglass that will not discolor. You will be able to see the stained glass windows once again, but because there is still so much work to be done, a timetable for that is not in place yet.

The cathedral just celebrated its centennial and part of that celebration is the renovations. I can't wait to see the stained glass windows from Mesa once all the work is done on this amazing, inspiring church.