St Paul’s may open doors again soon

ST Paul’s Cathedral is one step closer to being re-opened.Generous donations by parishioners have reached $20,000, meaning further demolition work can begin.Cement render and ornaments will be removed from the church in coming weeks, and the Very Reverend Peta Sherlock said that when it was done there would be a chance parishioners could move back in.“We’ve already taken off most of the dangerous things,” she said.“The next things that can go are the cement render and the concrete bobbles.”Dr Sherlock said some of the decorative cement was already falling off.“They look small, but if they fell on someone they could do a lot of damage.“The only problem is that as soon as we take them off, the weather can get in even more.“Ideally, we would like to put them back on as soon as they’re taken off, but we don’t have the money.”This year, Easter for St Paul’s parishioners will be held at St Andrew’s. Through an appeal, a further $70,000 has been raised for work, but Dr Sherlock suggested millions was needed for a complete restoration.“We’re still waiting for the big bucks. “We’ve applied for a few grants, but all we’ve got is a very small amount from Heritage Victoria.“Come on, Mr Brumby, help us out.”