After a long and anxious wait for many parishioners, St. Mary's catholic church will finally be reopening.
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The power tools were still in operation on Wednesday, adding the final touches to the church's significant refurbishment that has been underway for the past 18 months.
In that time, there's very little in or outside St Mary's that hasn't either undergone restoration work or hasn't been replaced entirely.
Even the large wooden Jesus suspended above the altar was polished and oiled until it glistened like new. Although that was almost a project in itself, according to Father Greg Bellamy, as it required wood restorers to abseil down from the ceiling.
Similarly, the pews had been buffed and varnished so the smell of cedar-wood permeated throughout the building, creating the impression they'd been freshly rendered from timber rather than 30 years prior. The water-damaged carpet had been ripped up and replaced, as had much of the ceiling.
"For years water had been running down the ceiling from condensation. Even during the middle of the drought," Father Bellamy said.
"For everyone the most notable change will be the entirely new section out the front. It allows us to have a beautiful indoor area for gatherings after weekend masses. And during funerals the hearse can actually back in so you can stand indoors.
"(Previously) there was no where here to gather and socialise except outdoors which in this climate was a real problem."
The church is the second St Mary's building in Orange - with its predecessor being constructed in 1926. When the current-day St Mary's was opened in 1988, the stained glass windows were brought across from the original.
"It's very important to us to work on this building now as in the future there's going to have to be significant work at St Joseph's, so it's possible it may have to closed for a period of time," the parish priest said.
On Friday night, the church will have its grand reopening but due to COVID-19 restrictions, the event needed to be ticketed. The event is free but no more than 200 people could attend. As of Wednesday, places were booking out fast on the website Try Booking and there were just 30 tickets.
"Within five days the first 110 were gone," Father Bellamy said.
"People have been anticipating the opening for a very long time."
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