The St Joseph RC Church, St Joseph begins its ‘Road to Restoration Drive’ on Wednesday, Emancipation Day, with the launch of crowd-funding towards restoration. The launch takes place at the church, Abercromby and King Streets, St Joseph, 4 – 6 p.m. and also incorporates the renaming of the community field to ‘The Priest Hill Greens’.
St Joseph is home to the oldest parish in Trinidad and the church has been designated a National Heritage Site by the National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago. A media release from the parish stated, “The parishioners of St Joseph RC Church, wholeheartedly and very seriously accept responsibility as stewards of this national treasure.”
A recent structural audit of the church has highlighted major faults in the structural integrity of the roof and walls of the church. The release said structural engineers have warned if restoration is not undertaken immediately the building could be lost.
To assist in realising the approximately $4 million needed for restoration the parish has embarked on a series of significant activities.