Stone Church gets $5K anonymous donation toward mortgage

A non-profit group in Victoria Mines has received what it's calling a Christmas miracle — a donation to help it buy the community's nearly 100-year-old former Catholic church.

St. Alphonsus Church, often called the Stone Church, sits high on a hilltop overlooking Sydney Harbour.

It was slated for demolition by the Diocese of Antigonish, but a deal was reached earlier this year for the diocese to sell the 99-year-old church to the Stone Church Restoration Society for $40,000.

Melanie Sampson, a spokesperson for the group, said they'd been fundraising to meet the payment schedule.

Anonymous donor

Earlier this month, Sampson said she received a call from a woman who wanted to donate some money to help make the next mortgage payment in January.

"I went thinking it was maybe $25, $50 at the most. And she gave me a hug and presented me with the cheque," said Sampson.

"When I opened it up, I thought I was going to fall to the floor. It was $5,000." 

The donor, who wants to remain anonymous, told Sampson she recently sold a car and got more for it than she expected. She decided to donate the unexpected profit to the society.

"Her donation, for us, is a Christmas miracle," Sampson said.

The society's deal with the diocese states the group will receive the deed to the church and property — and the keys to the building — once January's mortgage payment is made.

The group expects to make its final mortgage payment on July 31, 2016.

Plans for wedding chapel and tourist attraction

Bill White, a member of the Stone Church Restoration Society and an architectural design technologist, said he can't wait to get inside next month and start planning for the church's restoration.

The society will have to raise about $300,000 to replace the roof and windows and complete some inside repairs. Sampson said the group hopes to get most of that money from government sources.

The society wants to restore the church to its original state and promote it as a non-denominational wedding chapel and tourist attraction.