St Mary of the Angels - First phase of restoration begins

St Mary of the Angels – first phase of restoration begins

Tuesday, March 10th, 2015

The $3.1 million so far raised by Wellington donors has allowed the first phase of work, to bring St Mary of the Angels to 100 per cent of code, to begin on March 18.

The first phase involves strengthening of the church’s foundations and shear walls.

And now that a third of the project’s estimated cost of $9.3 million has been raised, the church can apply to the Lotteries Commission for help with the second phase of the work.

The second phase will involve the upgrading of the portals and roof.

To ensure the church is not demolished all the work must be completed by 2027.

Parish priest Father Barry Scannell is confident that the giving spirit of the parishioners and private donors who raised the stage one money will continue.

“I’m sure people will keep responding, and the fact we’re starting work should cement that,” he said.

St Mary of the Angels was designed by Frederick de Jersey Clere.

Scannell said it is believed to have been the world’s first building made of reinforced concrete, and was seen by the citizens of the capital as an architectural and cultural treasure.

St Mary of the Angels’ rich cultural and social history is matched only by its prized acoustics, which will be enhanced by the renovation.

The Church, which is in downtown Wellington, has been at the heart of some of the nation’s most weighty occasions, including the funeral of Mother Mary Aubert.

A 6.5-magnitude earthquake forced the church’s closure in July 2013, and the structure currently meets between 15 per cent and 20 per cent of building code. Any building below 33 per cent is considered earthquake-prone.

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