Parishioners want answers after church closed 6 months due to mould

A 125-year-old church built by Acadians on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore has been closed for the last six months due to mould.

"We found out following a service back in November," said parishioner Bernadette Robicheau. "At the very end of the mass the priest announced that there was mould in the church."

The Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth said the decision was made to close the St. Anselm's Roman Catholic Church because it was a safety concern.

But some parishioners at the West Chezzetcook church say the archdiocese isn't answering any of their questions.

"I can't get any answers from anyone," said Bernard Baker, another parishioner at the church and the caretaker who suddenly had no way to get into the church. "I make phone calls and no one has returned my calls.

"I just can't figure it out."

The large brick church built in 1894 is easily the largest structure in the area. Its steeple can be seen from a number of neighbouring communities.

In a meeting in late February, the archdiocese provided sparse details of a report on the status of the church and the expensive repairs needed.

But the parishioners pushed back and decided to hire someone to provide a report. Its findings differed from the initial report.

"Our problem only really extends to the exterior walls, the entrance way and up around the pipe organ," said Baker. "The price to do that comes in at about half their cost."

The meeting in February also brought questions about the church's debt.

"I spoke up and asked how much we owed and he said it was $788,000," said Robicheau, who has lived in West Chezzetcook her entire life.

"I asked where that had arisen from and he said he couldn't tell us, that he was new to the job and that he didn't have any background information about the debt."

In the three months since that meeting, Robicheau said there are still no answers, even though parishioners were told they would get more details in another meeting.

Renovations at the church over recent years include a new steel roof, a new steeple and two new furnaces. All of those upgrades were paid for by fundraising.

"This community is big on fundraising for the church so I'm left bewildered as to where this debt came from," said Robicheau.

CBC requested an interview with the archdiocese but were told via email their staff were focused on moving into a new office.

In a statement, the archdiocese stated "coincidentally and in conjunction with this situation the archdiocese has been engaged, specifically since 2018, in a process of restructuring of parishes in order to more effectively deal with changed circumstances and the many challenges presently facing the mission of the church."

Services at other churches

Services have been redirected to other Catholic churches in East Chezzetcook, Musquodoboit Harbour and Lake Echo.

An annual summer picnic is usually held on the church grounds in early July.

While the event isn't happening this year due to the church being closed, Robicheau said her family will still be having a picnic of their own on the church grounds.

She's encouraging others in the community to join in to show their support for their Acadian heritage and the hope of having the church repaired and reopened.