St Mary's Local Case for Support

Since 1964, this present Church of St Mary’s Parish has served the needs of our Catholic community in Alton.  We give thanks for all that has been achieved in that time and for those who have gone before us, whose gifts and talents with God’s grace,  have accomplished so much.

Now we need to look ahead to the challenges that lie before us as a faith community.  This is our opportunity to contribute to the future well-being of this parish and the Diocese as a whole.  The Living Our Faith campaign aims to achieve that. We have now become involved in the early stages of this diocesan-wide endeavour to raise £9m. We recognise the urgent need for this historic initiative and are privileged to be part of it.

The  Parish was set a campaign target of £120,000. Many parishioners have already pledged their generous support, mostly over five years.  As a result, the total raised now stands at an incredible £240,000. This means that we have fulfilled our commitment to the Diocesan appeal, but more importantly, it means too that £126,000 will be now returned to the Parish to meet our own pressing needs.

We have successfully completed the building our new parish hall. However, during its construction several serious problems have emerged that need urgent attention. The condition of the Church roof gives great cause for concern. On inspection it has been found to be in very poor condition for a variety of reasons. The aluminium cladding is corroding and splitting along all the seams. This is laid on a chipboard surface which, because of a lack of ventilation and a consequent build-up of condensation, is crumbling away and losing strength. The Church light fittings have also deteriorated quite dramatically and now present a major fire hazard. These problems need to be addressed as a matter of urgency and certainly, we have been advised, within a year. The good news is that all of the the funds now raised through the Living Our Faith campaign will be returned to the Parish and with these we hope to rectify these faults.

While our needs are significant, we are confident that our parish family is prepared to lend generous support.  This is most evident through past accomplishments, blessings, and the extraordinary sacrifices made by our community of faith.

Living Our Faith will enable St Mary’s Parish to continue to grow and flourish. It will remain a vibrant Catholic presence in our area for generations to come. As we have been blessed, let us act as stewards by supporting this campaign. We appeal for your serious prayerful thought, commitment and participation.  God bless you abundantly for your generosity.

 

Fr Peter Hart
Parish Priest