Restoration
Project
of our Church continued
Scaffolding throughout
the inside of our Church
for restoration work
Walls Plastered & Painted
Walls to be Painted
Wall to be painted
Floor
half sanded
Floor being sanded
Radiators
installed floor sanded
High Altar Restored
All Altar`s
Restored
Screen at Back
of Chrch
Restoration
of Pews
Restoration
Update of our Church
We have
been praying the "Novena" in honour of the
Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist - our special request
for the
successful restoration of our Church.
"Whatever you ask for in prayer and do so
with faith,
you will recieve" (Mt 21.22)
We have been asking for a special favour in this Novena
"That we are successful in restoring our
Parish Church,
Our Lady and St Patrick, making it a house of beauty
for
the presence of the Blessed Sacrament"
Thank you for your continued prayers, support and
patience,
some of us are disillutioned,upset, but we have to
be strong,
we have our faith.
The Trustees of the Archdiocese have approved
an additional loan of £508,000 to complete the
repairs
to the high altars, which was not included in the
original
estimate of the cost of the works outstanding, which
now
stands at £700.000. The Trustees have given
their
commitment that the work on the restoration of the
Church will continue without any further problems
and
that it will be completed in time for Easter 2009.
A full report on progress and how our Parish has the
responsibility of repaying this loan will be available
shortly.
Our Lady & St Patrick's
Church
Restoration Update - January'2010
Ladies
and Gentlemen
On behalf of
Fr John Meredith and the Finance Committee,
we are pleased to present the following
update for the Church restoration:-
We have just
passed our first anniversary since we moved back into
Our Lady and St Patrick's following
the devastation of the Sanctuary in May 2008. Over
the last eighteen months much has been achieved
and it is easy to recognise the beauty of our heritage.
However, as 2009 has progressed it is clear we have
not won the battle against the prevailing onslaught
of
the cruel damp in the Sanctuary, above Our Lady's
Altar, the Confessional and in the vicinity of the
organ
loft. Indeed, the damp has contributed to further
problems within the Church affecting the oak floor
for
example. These matters and with particular attention
to the damp, have been referred to the Diocesan
Architect. The problem areas have been inspected and
corrective action has been approved by the
Archbishop, the Diocesan Architect and Diocesan Finance
Committee. They are fully committed to
securing the future of Our Lady & St Patrick's
and to the Parish community of Maesteg. Work will
commence in 2010. Father John is actively
progressing this.
Suffice to say, one can compare the progress of our
Church restoration to a 'runner' that sat in many
of
our old home passage ways. One lays it down, stands
back and admires its pattern. Shortly after, it
moves and it forms a 'kink' over which one trips.
It's pulled straight again and one is content. It
kinks
again and yes, we trip over it yet again. Like the
runner, we have and will continue to meet many
obstacles over which we will 'trip over' in the next
few years. With your support and patience, we will
meet these challenges, overcome them and secure our
Church for us and for future generations. So we
say to you our parishioners, keep vigilant and draw
to the attention of Father John or any member of the
Finance Committee any aspect of deterioration or fabric
degradation you might observe in any area of the
Church, externally and internally.
Work
completed since update June 2009:-
• Our
Pascal Candle, 3 candle stands, 4 Benediction candelabras,
8 vases have been fully restored -
cost of £1426.**
• The
sacristy, confessionals and passageway flooring between
the Church and Presbytery have
been laid with oak. A few matters
are still to be addressed. The stairs leading to the
organ loft
have been restored with oak.
Total cost £2900 of this work. **
• The
loop system was re-installed, but due to the work
in the Sacristy it needs to be re-adjusted.
This is in hand.
• The
Tabernacle, the home of our Blessed Lord, has been
refurbished - padded and fitted with new
curtains; Confessional Box curtains
replaced; main Altar under Cloth replaced; the Cedilla
Chairs
in the Sanctuary have been recovered
to match and compliment the chairs in the sanctuary
and the
kneelers. Total cost £260.
**
• The
entrance bell has been re-hung.
Work in progress:-
• The
Cross, part of the original Church furnishings, is
currently being refurbished, to return shortly.
Apart
from the Sanctuary Lamp, this will complete the restoration
of the original Church brass. **
• Work shall begin soon
to re-address the prevailing problem of damp within
the Church fabric.
• Sound
proofing for the Confessionals is being addressed.
•
The structural work for the screen is completed. It
remains to have the glass panel fitted along side
the 1st War Memorial
and to select images for the top glass panels to be
engraved. **
• The
matter of crumbling Bath stone continues to be monitored.
Recently further problems have
been observed and have been
drawn to the attention of the Architects.
• Church
Glass of Cardiff is in the process of colour matching
the damaged stained glass. The
windows are scheduled for completion
in the first quarter of 2010.
• A splendid
job by 'Pen-y-Bont Polishers' is work in progress
restoring the oak pews in their
originalnatural colour.
The work is all hand and will take 40 weeks approx
to complete.Total
cost £6000.**
• Work has begun to recover the kneelers; the
material selected is of 'heavy industrial/domestic
strength'. Certain issues in
terms of the tight fitting between the two sets of
movable kneelers in
each
row once covered has been identified and addressed
by the Upholsterer. The missing
kneelers
shall be replaced, which will be completed in line
with the return of each set of restored
pews
and the benches will be placed back to their original
settings. Total cost £1200.**
• The
sacristy is drawing to completion and will be fully
functional by the end of January. **
•
The old clock has been restored and hung on the balcony.
The next step is to get the clockmaker
back to re-set the workings.
**
• In
March, we shall have available to all our Church societies,
groups and also the Primary School
a fully functional kitchen,
totally independent of the Presbytery. This can be
used in support of
UCM Cream Teas, Parish &
Deanery BBQs, garden parties, preparation for general
fundraising
and social events. This has
been totally funded by private donation. **
Next steps:-
• Redress
the problem of damp and crumbling bath stone.
• Replace damaged missals and replace old vestments.
• Install a new Sanctuary Lamp bracket and pulley.
• Make provision for a new repository.
•
Install additional banisters along the stairs leading
to the organ loft.
• Reinstall
electric bell system.
• Develop
long term maintenance plan.
NB: Please note that the bullet points suffixed
by a ' double astrix -**' are not funded from the
Diocesan
loan which still stands at approximately £629,000,
but have been funded by monies made available by
'Private Donations and Fundraising'.
Acknowledgements
As we approach the close of 2009 we would like to
recognise and acknowledge the contribution made by
so many
in support of the restoration and enhancement of Our
Lady & St Patrick's - in no particular order.
Sincere and grateful thanks:
• To
Fr David Smith for leading us into the commencement
of the Church restoration.
• To
Fr William Isaac for his continued support to Our
Lady & St Patrick's during his administration
period
and indeed prior to.
For elevating developing problems to the Diocesan
architects.
•
To the Union of Catholic Mothers who have tirelessly
worked to provide fund raising to the sum of £5500.
• To
the Fund Raising Group who has raised the sum of £6200
through staged events.
• To the
Coffee Morning Group who have raised £1138.
• To
the 300+ Club Members who have funded the lighting
on the front steps, the protective screens
covering
the stained glass windows, new Altar cloths, new funeral,
wedding and baptism books; totalling
£4181.00. Thanks also
to the 300+ Club Team for their commitment in promoting
this Scheme.
• To the
Voucher Scheme team, who with Parish support, has
increased the revenue considerably to £2672.
• To
the Catholic Social Club Members for payment of new
doors at the back of the Church totalling £2400.
• To Ann
for continuing to run the Webb Ivory Promotion.
• To
Doug for his tremendous work in making crosses out
of our left over benches/kneelers - £1500 raised.
• To those who have made and continuing to make
private donations.
• To
the bereaved families who have made donations in lieu
of flowers.
• New
Kitchen - to the Stanton family who donated both materials
and labour to build and create the shell of
the new 'Parish Kitchen' and
interior plastering, etc.; to Ron and Sandra Richards
for donating the kitchen
units and cupboards and to Margaret
and Eddie Buckley for donating the wall/ floor tiles
and the cooker.
• To Linda
and Steve Williams for donating the fridge/freezer.
• To
Tony who has donated his time tirelessly/freely in
the evenings to install and pull together the various
elements to
complete the kitchen and to make it functional ready
for 2010.
• To
the young lads who worked so hard in the Sacristy.
• To the
friends of the Restoration Fund - who purchased/donated
round tables for the fundraising events.
• To
each and every once of you, who have contributed to
the restoration fund and Church
development, whether by the
monthly collection plate, attending events or providing
valuable time.
THANK
YOU.
Our Lady
and St.Patricks Church Need your Help!
May
be you have some connections with this parish and
some memories of the church. If you would like
to help
with the
restoration in anyway please contact the Parish
Priest.
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