It’s a view that hasn’t been seen since 1992. St. Paul’s Cathedral in Birmingham has no pews.

St. Paul’s Cathedral, the seat of the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham, closed after Ash Wednesday for floor refinishing and pew replacement. The pews were removed and will be replaced with new ones.

The solid oak hardwood floors were installed in 1992 in preparation for the cathedral’s 1993 centennial celebration. This is the first time they’ve been refinished.

The church said it’s being done during Lent because there are no weddings scheduled during that season.

Ash Wednesday was observed on March 6, but since then, the cathedral has been shut down for what’s expected to be a two-week renovation project, from March 7-22. It will reopen for the remainder of Lent, the season of repentance that leads up to Easter Sunday on April 21. Services have moved to the Cathedral Life Center Great Hall during the project.