The Diocese of Fall River closed St. Anne’s parish in 2019 and leased the building to the St. Anne’s Preservation Society with the hopes of renovating the historic church.
And in the last four years, the organization has made marked progress toward its goal.
Mr. Gauvin says the cost of renovating the structure has changed since the organization took over the project.
Although the main church remains closed until repairs can be done, the initial assessment of the damage was overstated.
The shrine sees roughly 30-50 patrons a day, and upwards of 70 during holidays and monthly healing Masses. Mr. Gauvin says the shrine sees enough activity to pay its recurring bills.
As part of its ongoing capital campaign, the preservation society has received large and small donations, some targeted to specific renovations within the shrine. Mr. Gauvin says the organization’s board of directors brings targeted expertise to the project
Throughout the process, Mr. Gauvin says the Diocese remains supportive.
The organization continues to seek individual and corporate donations and Mr. Gauvin remains hopeful that by the end of its current lease in 2029, a large portion of the renovation work will be complete.
Comments are closed.