Camden's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception has the power to inspire its 45 or so parishioners. There is something about its soaring arched ceiling, its stained glass windows and marble altar that quiets the spirit, they say.

Soon, the diocese hopes, the cathedral will inspire its city. Work is under way to restore the cathedral to its former glory as the mother church of the Camden Diocese. It is the home base for Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, who occasionally officiates.

In two months, the church's towering spire and crosses will glow through the night, thanks to a fund-raising drive spurred by DiMarzio's desire to rejuvenate the cathedral.

The church was built in 1866. It was designed by Jeremiah O'Rourke, who also designed the Smithsonian Institution castle in Washington, D.C. O'Rourke once described the church as "one of the finest pieces of small Gothic architecture in the United States."

It presides over the corner of Broad and Market streets, in the center of the city. There's not much of a neighborhood there, except the courthouses and City Hall, a bank and a Bell Atlantic building. The regulars at Mass mostly work nearby or drive in from other towns.

Money will also be raised to replace the roof and buy things like vestments for the priests, altar candles, chalices and a choir microphone system, said John Erwin, a member of the Santa Maria Council of the Knights of Columbus. The men's society hopes to raise $50,000 and is organizing a Nov. 2 fund-raising social to pay for the lighting project. Among the prizes is dinner for six cooked by the bishop himself.

"This will show the people in Camden that the church is alive and vibrant and committed to Camden," said Erwin, a Haddon Heights resident. "And that the bishop is working hard in the diocese."

Much is planned for the church. The Rev. Michael Mannion, who once worked with Mother Teresa, will be installed on Dec. 8 as the new rector. He has worked there for the last two years.

Though its regular congregation is small, the cathedral draws many visitors to its jazz vesper services, healing Masses and concerts. A reunion Mass will be held there Sunday.

Lorraine Saitta of Camden worships regularly at the cathedral, where she has been driving to Mass for the last 20-odd years.

"I love the architecture," said Saitta, a 59-year-old retired history teacher. "It's exquisite. It makes you feel like you're doing something spiritual."

Work to restore the church and light will be a "plus to the city," Saitta said.

"It will be beautiful," Mannion promised. "It will show it is a beacon of light to the city."

Reach Kim Mulford at (856) 845-6521 or kmulford@courierpostonline.com

- If you go

The Camden Diocese's Knights of Columbus Councils and the Friends of the Cathedral will hold a social fund-raiser from 8 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Paul VI High School gym, 901 Hopkins Road, Haddon Township. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased by calling John Erwin at (856) 546-1582.

The cathedral is at 642 Market St., Camden. Call (854) 964-1580.