You may have noticed that the Church is shrouded in scaffolding at the moment.  Some of the more observant of you may also have noticed that the interior is covered in dust.  This is because we are having the roof done!

For some time now we have had problems with rain water getting into the church and there have been several attempts at piece-meal repair, but it was recently decided, in consultation with the Diocesan Surveyor, Mr. Chris Fanning, that this was getting us nowhere, so the whole roof must be replaced.

Hopefully this will mean those pesky leaks will be a thing of the past, but at the moment we ask you to bear with us and, if you come to the weekly Masses, to ask you if you would mind bringing a duster with you to keep the disruption down to a minimum until the work is completed, when we will be able to get the church cleaned properly.  We should also add that you should look very carefully before you sit down in case a speck of dust has been missed.

This is part of a long term programme which is being carried out by the Parish Council.  Once the roof is fixed they hope to take a look at other items of “repair and renewal” for the buildings on the site.  These would include: new pews which will finally “finish” off the church (as you know this would be the end of a period that began in 1984, when the church was extended) – our current pews were a temporary measure and do not all match or fit into the spaces intended for them; re-decoration in both church and hall, which is looking desperately tatty at the moment; and some work needs to be done on the sanctuary, especially with regard to the carpet, which has taken quite a battering from candle wax over the years.

In all a conservative estimate puts the cost of all this as £120,000, with the known cost of the roof, with scaffolding, being £25,000, and the Parish Team would like to offer their thanks to those of you who have kindly made donations towards the costs of these repairs.  Thank you!