LAWRENCE — The 140-foot tall spire towering over St. Patrick Church is having a once-in-a-century makeover.
The bricks on the inside and outside of the tower will be repainted, all copper will be secured and the tower's louvers will be refinished and repainted.
The Rev. Paul O'Brien said church officials viewed the work area two years ago to assess what repairs were needed.
"Like in your own home, roof repairs are unglamorous projects, but we have to take care of the tower no matter what," O'Brien said.
Money for the repairs comes from $50,000 left over from the Capital Campaign of Promise for Tomorrow collection from 2001 to 2004 and the $300,000 from the sale of its convent to Habitat for Humanity.
In addition to the tower, other improvements in the church include replacing cracked and missing roof slates, replacing the damaged flashing on the roof, and repairing the gutters and downspouts.
In the parish center, masonry work has been done on the exterior of the building. A new hot water heater, air conditioning and heating systems also have been installed.
On the north side of the city, Redeemer Lutheran Church will also undergo repairs on its roof over the front entrance, the lower flat roof over the fellowship room and office.
The Rev. Barbara Reifschneider said the roof repair over the front entrance is the most pressing because water overflows at the stairs because the roof is sloped.
"It's not that we have a choice because water pours in by the door," she said.
She said the project should be completed by April, "before the snow melts and the rain comes."
Money for the project will come from donations by parishioners of the 77-year-old congregation. It will cost more than $9,000 to repair.
"People are really faithful and really good about giving," she said.
