All
of you know about the work planned for the replacement of the steeple.
However, many of you may not know that a committee is working hard to
plan the interior restoration of the church, which will be done at the same time
as the steeple work.All
of you know about the work planned for the replacement of the steeple.
However, many of you may not know that a committee is working hard to
plan the interior restoration of the church, which will be done at the same time
as the steeple work.
Nancy Hulshof, Pauline Bokkers, John Nyenhuis, Mary Brown
To identify the scope of work needed to restore/renovate the church interior and to recommend a contractor to do the job.
It is our goal to preserve, restore or recreate as much of the beautiful artwork presently in our church as possible. It is also our hope to improve the state of repair of some of the woodwork, statues, etc.
We need to recommend a contractor to the Building Committee by early May.
We have visited numerous churches in the area, including Chatham, Formosa, Exeter, Listowel, New Hamburg, St. Clements, Seaforth, Guelph and London. We have visited these churches to see recent restorations, to view the work of various contractors, and to speak to priests and parishioners who have recently undertaken projects such as ours. We have interviewed tradesmen and contractors who are interested in doing our restoration work. We have spoken to the artist who created the beautiful murals and paintings currently in our church. We have spent countless hours on the phone, on the Internet and on the road so that we can ask intelligent questions and make informed decisions.
We
have learned that in every parish there are people who are passionate about
their church, just as we are here in Kinkora. The one piece of advice that
we’ve heard repeatedly is, “If you’re going to do it, do it right!”
That is our plan. This type
of work is not inexpensive but with your continuing support we will restore our
church for generations to come. We
have been struck again and again how unique and beautiful St. Patrick’s Church
is!
Our next step is to make a formal detailed list of all the work that needs to be done to restore the church interior. This list will be presented to contractors who wish to bid on the job.
The aesthetic qualities of Gothic architecture depend on a structural development: the ribbed vault. Medieval churches had solid stone vaults (the structure that supports the ceiling or roof). These were extremely heavy structures and tended to push the walls outward, which could lead to the collapse of the building. In turn, walls had to be heavy and thick enough to bear the weight of the stone vaults. Early in the 12th century, masons developed the ribbed vault, which consists of thin arches of stone, running diagonally, transversely, and longitudinally. The new vault, which was thinner, lighter, and more versatile, allowed a number of architectural developments to take place.
Although the earliest Gothic churches assumed a wide variety of forms, the creation of a series of large cathedrals in northern France, beginning in the second half of the 12th century, took full advantage of the new Gothic vault. The architects of the cathedrals found that, since the outward thrusts of the vaults were concentrated in the small areas at the springing of the ribs and were also deflected downward by the pointed arches, the pressure could be counteracted readily by narrow buttresses and by external arches, called flying buttresses. Consequently, the thick walls of Romanesque architecture could be largely replaced by thinner walls with glass windows, and the interiors could reach unprecedented heights. A revolution in building techniques thus occurred.
On June 22, 2003 we will have our Steeple Chase Car Rally with Catholic trivia this time. Come and get lost!
November 21, 2003 we will try something new. We are going high class with a Kinkora twist. Autumn Splendour will be a gala evening with a down-home theme.
We are always looking for new members. Do not wait to be asked. Join up while there is still money to be raised!
In
2007 St. Patrick’s is celebrating its 125th Anniversary.
Our goal is to have all the restorations completed and the debt repaid by
our anniversary! To help prepare we
ask you to share with us your old pictures of the church building, so that we
can scan them into the computer and use them for the restoration.
$363,760.62 Repointing of masonry Isbister Restoration and Consultant Fees
$202,993.51 In Diocesan Loan Fund
$2,351.07 In Parish Building fund (waiting to be deposited to Diocesan Loan Fund)
$569,105.20 Total
raised to date
Donations have equalled
$100,000 a year.
We expect to need only a $400,000 line of credit throughout project.
Your overwhelming generousity continues to inspire all, as the restoration of St. Patrick's becomes a reality. In the next year there will be a great deal of activity around our parish. We look forward to your continued support and patience as the construction begins.
For up to date
information check out
www.stpatricks.rcec.london.on.ca
.
For e-mail pkeller@rcec.london.on.ca
As always pledge forms are available at the back
of the church.
Cheques to be made payable to:
St. Patrick's Restoration Fund
RR#1 Sebringville
Ontario, N0K 1X0
(519) 393-6187
(519) 393-6047 FAX