Restoration Work

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A large part of the restoration has involved the complete re-plastering of the front facade of the church. This has restored the front to a brilliant white finish and has also helped restore the straight-cut feeling to the Art-Deco design.

The John Storrs statue of Christ (executed locally by John Maguire) has been extensively cleaned along with the cast stone ornament that surrounds it and the window frames.

The interior has been repainted in magnolia and has been completely refitted with new lighting above the ceiling apex and along the ceiling rim. The new lighting is much more powerful than before and provides a strong feed of white light. When compared to the previous lighting, there is significant improvement. The altar lighting under the canopy has been refitted with 4 small spot lights to help illuminate the tabernacle area without casting a dark shadow as before.

The ceiling lighting is now returned to its original position; above the ceiling apex. For energy efficiency, the ceiling has been insulated to prevent heat loss and the glass apex panes have been replaced with custom made double-glazing to again retain as much heat as possible. In conjunction with the new heating system, the church is now noticeably warmer

The altar has undergone many changes and improvements. The reredos panels have been professionally restored to their original bright white finish. The brass fittings and mosaics have been polished. Also included is the much needed addition of lighting under the canopy. Although the Latin altar does not feature in the modern mass, the new lighting helps emphasize the beige terrazzo and surrounding fittings. All carpeting has been removed to reveal the original decorative designs of the floor. Finally, the installation of a new sound system has resulted in the replacement of the Bose speakers by two custom built speaker rails. The rails are attached to piers at both sides of the sanctuary. The only feature of the altar which has not been restored is the suspended sanctuary light which was removed in the late sixties and its whereabouts are unknown.

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