The Malta Independent on Sunday
St Paul’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral/Save Valletta’s skyline restoration appeal gets generous contribution from Gozo Bishop
Following a most inspiring initiative by Monsignor Mario Grech, the Bishop of Gozo, the parishes in his diocese dedicated the contributions from one Sunday’s Holy Masses to the St Paul’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral save Valletta’s skyline restoration appeal.
A generous sum of €5,783:31 was collected from parishioners all over the island of Gozo. Re- ceiving the cheque from Bishop Grech, Canon Simon Godfrey, the Chancellor of the cathedral, said: “It is deeply symbolic of the warm ecumenical ties that exist between the Roman Catholic and Anglican faiths in Malta and Gozo. The parishioners of Gozo have demonstrated their typically great generosity for which I and the Restoration Appeal committee are enormously grateful.”
Sir Martin Laing and Martin Scicluna, the joint chairmen of the Restoration Appeal, joined Canon Godfrey in expressing their thanks, underlining that the contribution by the Diocese of Gozo in aid of the Restoration Appeal was a marvellous and generous gesture of solidarity. It was a boost not only to the Restoration Appeal’s funds, but also to the recognition that saving this outstanding Grade 1 building was crucially important to Valletta’s rich cultural heritage.
The fabric of St Paul’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral in Valletta is in dire need of restoration. Recent expert architectural inspections have identified severe problems threatening the tower, the spire and the external and internal stonework. Parts of the structure are now officially described as “unstable”.
Following a report by the cathedral’s architect, a multitude of problems have been identified affecting the tower and spire and the stonework around the cathedral. These include the urgent need for external restoration works; tower and spire and boundary wall restoration works; the replacement of the ceiling and other internal works as well as the wrought iron railings.
The need is pressing. An appeal has been launched by the Church Council of the Cathedral to raise €3,000,000 for vital restoration and repair work by November 2019, the 175th anniversary of the building of the cathedral after architectural inspections identified severe problems threatening the Cathedral’s tower, spire and stonework throughout the iconic structure.
The tower and spire is indeed a landmark, and they feature prominently in every postcard of Valletta depicting the view of the capital city over Marsamxett Harbour.
Recent architectural inspections have found that the Cathedral’s fabric is in dire need of restoration and an urgent need for intervention to address what have been found to be “severe problems threatening the tower, the spire and the external and internal stonework” – so much so that parts of the structure have been officially declared “unstable”.
The costs of the required interventions are, however, daunting: external restoration €894,000; boundary wall restoration €383,000; tower and spire €716,000; ceiling [€165,000]; internal works [€165,000]; railings [€38,000], and do not include architects’ professional fees, technical surveys and an allowance for contingencies.
Although St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral is one of the Cathedrals of the Church of England, it enjoys no current endowment and receives no support from the Maltese government or the Church of England.
There has been little maintenance on the fabric of the Cathedral for many years. And while the Cathedral’s small congregation meets the annual running and maintenance costs, which amount to approximately €100,000 a year, funding the major work required to save the iconic building is far beyond its means.
As such, the Cathedral’s only potential resource for the essential restorations and repairs will be the generosity of individuals and businesses and they will be encouraged to contribute in their own names or as lasting memorials.