Work has begun to strengthen the steeple tower at St Joseph’s Church in Temuka.
With scaffolding going up last week, Opihi Parish finance committee chairman Mark Robbins said at this stage they were focusing on earthquake strengthening, along with renovating the church’s stained glass windows.
To strengthen the steeple, a metal frame would be erected inside the tower.
The stained glass windows had been earmarked to be sealed to prevent water getting into the building’s walls since before the February 2011 earthquake.
Mr Robbins said while they were focusing on the ‘‘important stuff first’’ they had wanted to ‘‘revamp’’ the rooms behind the altar.
But, he said the committee would, ‘‘see how we go’’.
The erection of St Joseph’s Church began in 1879, with the first stone blessed on November 16 in the same year.
However in 2012 — following the February 22 earthquake the previous year — the church was closed after engineering reports revealed the building’s steeple tower was earthquake prone.
While the church had been strengthened some 50 years earlier, the tower had not.
The building is touted as one of the most noteworthy churches in Canterbury.
Mr Robbins said work was expected to take up to 18 months.
During that time services will be held in the church hall.
