Restoration at church brings tears of joy

Renovation work on the interior of St. Patrick's RC Church is almost finished, with new decoration and lighting.

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THE 400-strong congregation at a Roman Catholic church in Oldham is returning to normality now that £100,000 restoration works are complete.

Parish priest Father Philip Sumner described the Grade II-listed building as "magnificent" following the extensive and meticulous internal redecoration.

The sanctuary at the Union Street West place of worship has been restored to its original 20th century style thanks to contractors and specialists.

Fr Sumner said: "The scaffolding has now gone from the sanctuary area, revealing the stencil work; it's really looking magnificent.

"The renovation work has rediscovered some of the original beauty of the building that had been lost in the rather minimalist redecoration of the 1990s, and in what could be called the brutalist electrical installation of that same period.

"One of our long-standing parishioners, who has been ill for some time and unable to come to church for several months, was in tears of joy when he saw the finished product.

"Life can be drab and difficult for so many people and it's great to be able to lift people's spirits with the architecture of a place of worship. The works have been greeted with what seems like universal acclaim and considerable enthusiasm among the parishioners."

Works have been ongoing since February, when a successful application saw Viridor Credits Environmental Company hand over a £50,000 grant, topping up the money which had already been raised by parishioners.

All the work in the main body of the church was finished in the first week of August, with all services returning to their usual times and location. Stencil works carried out in the sanctuary contrast with the simple tones of paintwork throughout the rest of the church as well as the stained glass windows which tell several of the Gospel stories.

Fr Sumner said: "The process of the redecoration was not an easy one; there were many problems uncovered which had to be attended to before the work could carry on.

"There were a couple of leaks in the roof that had to be dealt with and, because of previous water ingress, the ceiling, in many places, had to be replaced using traditional methods of lime and horsehair render.

"At times, we wondered how many more problems would be discovered.

"But, finally, the work is finished and the result is magnificent and well worth all the struggle."

The church extended thanks to Viridor Credits and to the Garfield Weston Foundation which donated £50,000 and £10,00 respectively, as well as to the parishioners who raised in the region of £70,000.

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