Our Parish Church is approaching an important milestone—its Bicentenary. This is not only a time of celebration, but also a time to give thanks, and to reflect on how we continue to care for this sacred place at the heart of our parish life. On behalf of Fr. Aidan and the Parish Bicentenary Committee, I would like to share with you our plans for the restoration of the church, a project that looks both to our past and to our future. Our intention is to carefully restore and preserve the beauty and heritage of this church, so that it may continue to inspire prayer and worship for generations to come. The first phase of this work will focus on the sanctuary, including the walls, altar area, and sanctuary ceiling, returning them, as closely as possible, to the design first created in 1927. As part of this restoration, the sanctuary ceiling will also be redecorated to include three medallions featuring religious symbolism, in keeping with the original artistic design of the church. In doing so, we will carefully uncover and restore the delicate stencilling and decorative detail that has been painted over through various works over the years. The specialist ecclesiastical painting contractor will also undertake intricate decorative restoration along the top of the wooden panelling on both sides of the church, as well as around the windows. In addition, the original reredos design will be restored on the wall behind the Sacred Heart statue, helping to recover something of the richness and dignity of the church as it was originally intended. Fr Aidan and the committee has awarded the contract to carry out this work to J. Hodkinson and Sons of Limerick. This is a particularly meaningful choice for us, as the Hodkinson family’s connection with this church goes back to the 1870s. It was the grandfather of the present Randel Hodkinson who painted the sanctuary in 1927. To now have the same family return to restore that work brings a strong sense of continuity, respect, and tradition. The cost of the restoration work has been quoted at €66,000, which is slightly lower than the previous painting cost of approximately €80,000. There is, however, an additional and necessary requirement. In order for the work to be carried out safely, scaffolding will need to be erected in the sanctuary. This must be installed and certified by a registered contractor, in line with modern day health and safety and insurance requirements. The cost of this is €22,000 +VAT. While significant, this is unavoidable in the world we live in today. In conjunction with the painting and restoration of the sanctuary, remedial work will also need to be carried out on the exterior sanctuary wall. Over many years, and during the time of a number of parish priests, sections of the wall were plastered and re-plastered using sand and cement. Unfortunately, this has had the effect of trapping damp and moisture within the structure of the wall itself, which is now contributing to the paint peeling and deteriorating on the interior of the church. Addressing this issue is an essential first step, but it is likely only the beginning of a much wider process. This work has been necessary for some time due to the significant deterioration in the condition of the sanctuary wall paintings over recent years. Following expert assessment of both the internal and external wall surfaces, it has been determined that the work is now essential and can no longer be deferred. In time, the entire church building will need to be carefully assessed so that a long-term plan can be put in place for the external rendering and preservation of the structure as a whole. Our parish building fund will assist with these costs initially. However, we are very conscious that this fund also supports the upkeep of our two other churches, which also require attention from time to time. We must therefore be careful not to place the full weight of this project on that fund alone. For this reason, we are appealing for your support. In the weeks and months ahead, we will be launching a fundraising campaign in a number of ways to help meet the cost of this work—work which we hope will serve our parish well for the next 50 years or so. We ask you, gently and sincerely, to support this effort in whatever way you are able. We also ask you to share news of this project with family and friends. In particular, we encourage you to pass this on to those living abroad, mindful of the long tradition in our parish where those who have left these shores have, in times of need, supported important projects like this when they could. This is truly a shared effort and a shared opportunity: to honour those who built this church before us, and to ensure that it remains a place of worship, beauty, and welcome for those who will come after us. In addition to this, we are also looking ahead to a second phase of work, which will focus on the reordering of the church entrance from the main street. This has been a personal project of Fr Aidan, who feels that the current entrance does not fully reflect the dignity of the church. The proposal includes the erection of limestone pillars, more in keeping with the original entrance when the church was first built. In doing so, it is hoped that a small number of parking spaces could also be created for those attending Mass. The area will be fully landscaped, and new lantern-style lighting will be installed on both sides between the statue and the church to improve both safety and appearance. Thank you, as always, for your generosity, your support, and your prayers. May God bless us all as we work together in preparation for the 200th anniversary of our beautiful church