The restoration of Assumption Church is moving into phase two and the parish will need the help of donors to complete the work.
Paul Mullins, who is spearheading the work, said they need an additional $400,000 to move on to Phase 2 A, but much more for the whole project.
"To do the entire next phase, which is the plaster consolidation and the paint restoration, is a budget of $3.5 million to $4 million," said Mullins. "So we don't have the money to be about to undertake all of that work at this time."
Instead, they will focus on the east aisle of the church first. The work includes removing all insulation in the ceiling and applying several coats of an epoxy-like solution to restore the plaster. Work will then be done to restore the intricate paintwork on the church's ceiling.
Currently, they have $1 million saved for the work. They will also be applying the City of Windsor Heritage committee for some additional funding.
As part of the fundraising campaign, they are offering gold stars replicated from the ones on the ceiling of the church, for anyone who donates $1,000.
"There are stars that are embedded in the plaster throughout the ceiling and so we're launching a gold star campaign," said Mullins.
They hope to begin work on Phase 2 A right after Easter. Phase One, which included a new roof, asbestos remediation and a new heating system, is now finished and was completed under budget and almost on time. They ran into some delays with the asbestos remediation including finding some remains in the floor.
"We encountered evidence of some internments. We ran into a couple of bones, nothing had been marked, nothing had been identified," said Mullins.
He said the internments were not a complete surprise though. There is a plaque on the wall of the church that indicates at least five people are buried there, four priests and one nun. The bones were kept in place and encased during the completion of the work in the basement. There will be a plaque put in the basement to mark the place.
Services resumed at the church after the completion of phase one. Since that time, there has been an increase of about 150 patrons to the parish. They hope to continue service during phase two restorations.
