Repurposing places of faith

The situation facing Église Sainte-Marie in Church Point, Digby County, is a perfect illustration of the problems places of worship in Canada are facing these days.

As we reported last week, the huge building is no longer a church, having held its final mass on Christmas Eve. The sanctuary is large enough to hold 900; most recent masses in the basement of the rectory served no more than 35.

The main issue is the building itself, though. Like many old churches, it needs a lot of work. The roof needs replacing, many windows are broken and shingles are missing from the siding. Buckets collect water leaking from the ceiling.

A local society is seeking ideas on how to repurpose the building. For more than a century the structure has been a landmark, dominating the surroundings and serving as a meeting place, not just for worship but for social activities.

The society has set out to raise $3 million to buy and repair the structure. And there’s the rub, not just for this church, but thousands more all over Canada. As congregations dwindle and the maintenance bills pile up, what do you do?

Some churches have been torn down. Some have found new life as performance spaces or condos. Some have been converted into homes. In 2016, the former United church on Kentville’s main street became the new town library.

Others are determined to continue. St. Andrew’s Catholic church in Boisdale, N.S., has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise $12,000 for repairs.

Heritage group National Trust for Canada told the CBC last March that they estimate

9,000 places of worship – about one-third of the churches in the country – will be lost over the next decade.

In this region we've seen churches close or be demolished. For over a year, the former

Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church in Plympton, Digby County – which had closed years earlier – was dismantled by hand to salvage its materials. Post-tropical storm Dorian, last September, decided to speed up the process – its strong winds no match for what remained of the structure.

In June 2014, Zion Baptist Church on Parade Street in Yarmouth fell victim to the wrecking ball as a result of costly repairs that could not be afforded. It had been built in the mid-1890s.

Churches are not just places of worship. They host Brownie meetings, community events, political gatherings, church suppers and art shows. We’ve gathered in church basements to munch on sandwiches and reconnect with old acquaintances after funerals or baptisms.

That’s why it seems so sad when they close and why people work so hard to keep them open.

Places of Faith, a collaboration with the National Trust and a group called Faith & the Common Good, helps churches and community groups in this situation. In a tight spot with your church? Look them up.

Meanwhile, we'll all keep an eye on what the future holds for Église Sainte-Marie. A new use, or demolition? We'll find out by September 2021.