A Dundee church needs more than £200,000 worth of “urgent” repairs if it is to stay open, its priest has warned. St Mary’s, a 157-year-old grade A-listed building on Lochee’s High Street, has launched a bid to raise money for the upgrades.
Fr Jim Walls says the roof of the church needs repaired, with water ingress causing issues such as damp and rot. Other problems include crumbling stonework, bulging walls, a lack of toilet facilities and a heating system so poor that elderly parishioners are too cold to attend in winter. He fears that without imminent intervention, the building will no longer be able to serve its community.
‘An awful lot is needing to be replaced’
Fr Jim, 54, who was appointed leader of St Mary’s last August, said: “The damage is basically wear and tear over the last 160 years. “A fair number of the slates on the roof are needing replaced and the woodwork itself is needing to be looked at. Just a couple of years ago there was a lot of water ingress. We have tried to patch it up so it’s not quite as bad as it was, but we are still having to put out buckets every now and again to catch water.
“The drainage system needs to be replaced, because it can’t cope with the water we are getting now.”
He added: “We are hoping that it does not come to that desperate situation of needing to close the church – these are preventative measures. But it is also important and immediate that we get it done.”
‘Excruciating cold’ in winter
The church, which has a 400-strong congregation, has now launched efforts to raise funds to cover the cost of repairs. It has written to local councillors to ask for their help in accessing financial support.
The church has also applied for various grants, including one offered by Historic Environment Scotland, but it is yet to be successful. It is preparing to launch an online donations page next week, while the Diocese of Dunkeld has agreed to cover 10% of the total costs.
In the meantime, it is hosting various fundraising events, including a one-man play and an organ recital.
A priority for Fr Jim is upgrading the building’s heating system. He said: “It is excruciatingly cold in there in winter. This winter past we would have had the heating on from 7am in the morning until 10am when our first service starts each morning, and you were still seeing your breath. Some of the elderly parishioners just cant come to Mass anymore because of that.”
The church which opened in 1866, is also a hub for community groups such as Keep Fit and the speech language therapy company.
Article courtesy of DC Thomson – 31 May 2023
