NEWCASTLE — A celebration of new restorations completed at the historic St. Patrick Church, 380 Academy Hill Road, is set for 1:15 p.m. Sunday, July 17, inside the old church.

July 17 is the 214th anniversary of the church’s dedication. A Mass of Thanksgiving will precede the event at 11 a.m. in the new church on the same property.

Dedicated in 1808, St. Patrick Church is the oldest, active church in New England and home to significant artifacts like the altar of Bishop Cheverus and a bell cast by Paul Revere & Sons, according to a news release from the church.

The restoration project began last September with brickwork and masonry repairs, but the root of the restoration can be traced to 2013.

“Nine years ago, it was brought to the attention of the St. Patrick History Group by member Chet Hopkins that our little church was showing signs of deterioration. This was specifically evident in the roof and brickwork,” said Carrie Watson, the historian at St. Patrick. “How blessed we were to have a parishioner, Tom Kronenberger, who co-owned a restoration company in Connecticut before retiring to Maine.”

Kronenberger and Sons met with the parish and gave an estimate of approximately $300,000.

“The project would encompass a new roof, repointing of bricks including mortar repair, trim around the windows, and additional exterior renovation,” said Watson. “Additional funds were needed for the stained glass windows.”

The existing shingled roof was removed and replaced as the attached wood shingles were stripped off the sheathing below. Testing was done to the existing bricks and mortar from various locations to provide a recipe for the correct mortar and brick hardness. Bricks and mortar were ordered based upon quantity, size, color and hardness. All 10 stained-glass windows, including their plexiglass protection, were removed.

“The protection was part of the problem as it did not provide for proper air circulation and created what is known as an oven effect, causing the lead to melt which in turn began to cause the windows to sag,” said Watson.

The windows were sent to Rohlf’s Stained and Leaded Glass in New York, where they were worked upon from September  2021 until March of this year.

The $320,000 price tag was met thanks to parishioners and community donors; the St. Patrick Permanent Lay Trust Fund, formed more tan 60 years ago by parishioners specifically for the preservation of the historic church; and the late Fr. Thomas Murphy, the pastor of All Saints when the project began in earnest. Murphy died just a week after the work began.

“Fr. Murphy was a special person who was a constant source of inspiration,” said Watson. “His tremendous support helped us through many tough times.”

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