Aquinas-Landmark-Winter-2021

9 their 20s and 30s. “I felt like the old guy, like I don’t belong there. I almost backed out,” recalled Ray. “But the next day I got up, I went there, and I put my phone in a locker. I started at 6:00 a.m. and was standing on my feet until 11:30 p.m. I saw the younger guys pulling out their cell phones, going out to lunch, stopping for coffee, and I just thought to myself, I have to get this done,” said Ray. “At the end of the two days, I was the only stone carver to finish the task and I got the job.”He is one of 15 stone carvers who will work on the cathedral’s restoration. The project officially began in February 2020 only to be halted a month later due to the pandemic. Currently, the team has been told the project will not resume until COVID-19 numbers have come down. Regardless, Ray still feels blessed to have been given this opportunity to help rebuild Notre Dame and is a firm believer that his family, his education, and his faith guided him to where he is today. And to think, “It all started with the statue of St. Thomas Aquinas.” One of Ray’s original works that he has carved throughout his career. Ray Colaruotolo ‘72 stands with Aquinas statue of St. Thomas Aquinas, which he credits as the inspiration for his career.