An historic Dublin church has begun a campaign to reopen its doors after a deliberately-started fire devastated one of the oldest parishes in the city last year.St Catherine's Church in Meath Street is seeking fundraising support for the renovations to the building which suffered extensive fire, smoke and water damage in January 2012.
Since the fire the parish has been using the neighbouring church in St John’s Lane, and Fr Niall Coghlan PP said although they have received a warm welcome from the community there, “it is like living in your neighbour’s house and we are longing to get back to our own home”.
Last September Archbishop Diarmuid Martin informed the parish of his decision that the church should be restored, and over the past few months the fundraising committee have been organising numerous events from bucket collections, raffles and slate sponsorship, to make up the €150,000 shortfall that will remain after the insurance company contribute to the restoration.
“The parish is very resilient,” Fr Coghlan said, “and the response from the fundraising projects has been phenomenal.”
The next fundraising venture is the Flora Mini-Marathon on Monday, June 3 with the committee aiming to get 160 women to partake – one for every year that the church has existed.
Information packs, sponsorship cards and T-Shirts are available from St Catherine’s Parish Office, Meath St, Dublin 8. Phone 01-4543356 or e-mail: meathst@hotmail.com