St Patricks Church has been granted $76,000 on a dollar for dollar basis by the NSW Heritage Council which means that half of the project cost, $38,000, must be raised by the local community.

This would see the final five windows in need of repair in the church, through to restoration.

Local priest Father Greg Beath (see letter to editor), is now calling on the Boorowa community to help meet this grant and see the project through to its conclusion.

The church’s stained glass windows were originally donated by pioneer Boorowa families and installed between 1877 and 1882 by W M Keating.

Father Beath said the windows appear, in general to be well preserved, however when a closer examination is undertaken it reveals the extensive restoration needed to repair the deterioration caused by climatic conditions and ageing over time.

In 1993, stage one of the window restorations commenced where exterior protective glass and other work undertaken at a cost of $34,000.

In 1998 Stage Two was completed at a cost of $25,900 and the remaining five windows have been untouched.

Father Beath said it would complete the church and allow opportunity for further restoration of the church if the final stage was completed.

The windows, which remain to be revamped are those of the Sacred Heart of Jesus located behind the main alter and the Sacred Heart of Mary located to the right of the church.

The windows would be removed piece by piece and sent to Brisbane where they would be worked on; the removal of the windows could take up to a week.

Scaffolding would then be erected internally and externally at the church and Father Beath said the holes in the current windows would be replaced with new lead light.

Once the work is completed, it is estimated the windows could be re-installed as soon as February next year.

Father Beath said a significance of St Patricks Church, which was built in 1873, is the way it was built facing north to south instead of the traditional east to west.

“By having the church built from north to south makes the colours of the stained led light windows more vibrant and alive throughout the entire day, not only in the morning or when the sun is setting in the afternoon,” Father Beath said.

Father Beath said by October 2010 a further $56,000 will be spent on the external guttering, and painting of the outside and inside of the church is hoped to be completed.

Donations can be made at the church.