The Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington, Virginia held a secret. When renovating the 60-year-old church, construction workers found a time capsule lodged into one of the cornerstones.
Restoring The Time Capsule
Sadly, the container had taken in a fair bit of water and mold coated the inside, however many things were still salvageable. The church brought in two conservators – one specializing in metal and one in paper – to save the contents inside.
Time capsule contents. Coins and a dollar from the year it was placed. (Courtesy Catholic Diocese of Arlington)
What Was In The Capsule?
They recovered old coins minted between 1958 and 1961, lists of the church’s architects and builders, including where they bought all the materials, and Washington Post articles on the church’s construction. The capsule also included a “silver certificate” dollar from that year.
A Capsule For This Generation
They couldn’t just leave the cornerstone empty! The church decided to replace it with a new watertight, fireproof capsule with modern items. They included prayer cards, articles on the renovation, a rosary that was blessed by the Pope, and a letter to the future church management.
They replaced the capsule in a ceremony at the cathedral last month, completing its construction. The church says it hopes some lucky person will discover the capsule 50 to 100 years from now.
