Cheryl Horgan is making jewellery from church's copper roofing

You can now wear a piece of Saint John history. As the copper roofing is stripped off the 160-year-old Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, bits of it are going to local artisan Cheryl Horgan. 

"It's been amazing, it's the coolest thing I've ever done. I am inspired beyond all recognition," said Horgan.

Horgan says the ideas are flowing fast and furiously. Waking in the middle of night, working through the day, and into the evening, she has created 97 pieces in the past three days.

Horgan is the fifth generation of Cathedral Catholic in her family. 

"My dad's father back in the '50s was raising money to give back to the church then," said Hogan. 

She thinks he was fundraising for a new roof, the project which is now finally underway.

Evolution Roofing agreed to contribute some of the old copper when they heard about Horgan's idea.

Father Doug McNeil says her jewellery has already sold out at the Catholic book store.

"It's rather unique," said McNeil. 

"The fact that people are going to have a little bit of the history of the cathedral, the copper that was put on in the early '60s, and, in a sense, is being recycled."

Replacing the cathedral's roof is phase one of a $10 million restoration. The roof restoration alone costs $1 million.

Cheryl Horgan will donate two thirds of the sales to the restoration effort. She will continue her meticulous and often tedious work into the fall.