Quick decisions could see rebuilding of Sacred Heart start next year
Stabroek News
December 31, 2006
If decisions are made quickly, the construction of the new Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church could begin at least by the start of the second quarter of the New Year.
This is according to one of the church's concerned parishioners Manfred De Santos, who said he felt the Roman Catholic community was eager to see the church rebuilt but major decisions were still to be made regarding the design of the building. De Santos, a parishioner, was on the maintenance and finance committees of the church.
December 25 marked the second anniversary since the 143-year-old architectural treasure was gutted after a fire which began in a Nativity scene crib spread throughout the mostly wooden old building also destroying 20 vehicles and two other buildings including the Sacred Heart Primary School.
Speaking with this newspaper recently De Santos said the architectural design for the building had been crafted but intense efforts were still being made to ensure that the major features were recaptured in the new building and a final decision is still to be made.
"Once this is approved, our next step in the rebuilding effort would be to start fund-raising activities for construction," De Santos said.
He told Stabroek News too that the Roman Catholic community was proud of the decision taken to rebuild the church after much consultation and the expression of interest by a number of persons.
Roman Catholic Bishop of Guyana Francis Alleyne took the decision to rebuild the church after a committee he appointed recommended it.
Since the fire, the Sacred Heart church has been meeting at the Ursuline Chapel Convent.
"We are trying as much as possible to retain the external structure particularly the two towers ,that the building had, but the new building would be made of pure concrete with steel support… the interior of the building will be different," De Santos.
In addition the seating arrangements would be different but since there would be no onsite priest, a decision was also taken for the presbytery to not be rebuilt.
"On the whole the design for the interior is still being examined but it will be done in keeping with designs that modern churches possess," De Santos said. Other structures are slated to be constructed on the site to serve the Diocese.
From the very day of the fire, dedicated members had voiced their desire to see their church rebuilt. The Parish Council of the Sacred Heart Church wanted to rebuild the church on the Main Street site, but Bishop Alleyne was in favour of putting up a complex on the site as part of a restructuring plan.
However, subsequent approval was given by Bishop Alleyne and the committee went the way of planning the rebuilding effort.
A site development committee was established and tasked with coming up with a design for the new building among other undertakings, after insistence by some members of the church and other members of the Roman Catholic community. De Santos said he and other members intended to have a re-dedication ceremony for the new building, once completed, on Christmas Eve of 2007.
Father Louduraj Arokiasamy, who was conducting Christmas morning mass in 2004, had told the media after the fire, that the electrical bulbs in the crib had apparently sparked and ignited combustible material in the crib.
The crib, part of the church's Christmas manger scene, was located in the north-eastern end of the church in the vicinity of the St Joseph altar.
Fr Arokiasamy had said that the congregation was singing the third stanza of the closing hymn when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw fire. It was around 8.50 am and about 60 worshippers, mostly elderly, were in the church at the time.
Other buildings levelled by the fire were the Kirpalani bond and a customs brokerage to the north of the building which housed the Sacred Heart Primary School.
Twenty vehicles in the neighbouring King Solomon Shipping premises compound to the south of the school were also wiped out, while the building which housed King Solomon Shipping Enterprise Ltd to the south of the church was scorched.
The building which housed the then Universal Airlines and other businesses to the north of the church was also scorched.
Hundred of millions of dollars in damage, including records from the church and school were also completely destroyed in the flames.