10:55am Wednesday 14th February 2007
By Prestwich & Whitefield Reporter
KIND-hearted parishioners at Our Lady of Grace Church in Prestwich have been praised after raising more than £4,000 to install vital CCTV equipment - within just a few weeks.
Part of the money will also be used to fund the repair bill for a damaged sacred statue which prompted the decision to enhance security at the Fairfax Road church.
In December, vandals entered the building and dragged a wooden bench to reach the statue of Our Lady, situated in the Lady Chapel. The wooden statue, which had been a familiar feature at Our Lady since 1931, was broken up and is currently undergoing repair.
This, and a previous series of incidents led to plans to install the CCTV.
Monsignor John Allen said: "The cost of the equipment and the repairs to the statue amount to £4,118. We had not even put out an appeal to raise the money. It was the church's responsibility and was going to be met solely by the church itself.
"Initially, we informed our parishioners about the damage to the statue. And since then, the money has come in. It's been a magnificent response on their part and I wish to record my grateful thanks for their special generosity. All the money was raised just within the last few weeks."
Monsignor Allen disclosed that all the key CCTV equipment is now in place and will monitor the whole building. "It's something we would obviously not have preferred to do," he said. "But the damage to the statue was the latest and the most serious in a series of incidents here."
The boosting of security also means that Our Lady of Grace will be able to maintain its policy of opening its doors between 8am and 6pm for private prayers and contemplation. "We are well used by people of all faiths and no faith who want to use the church during these times."
The popularity of the church is illustrated by the fact that Sunday Mass attracts around 750 worshippers.
Meanwhile, the statue under repair is scheduled to be returned soon to Our Lady of Grace. The statue was especially hand-carved in Italy by the famous wood carving family of Stuflesser.
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