LAWRENCE — St. Mary of the Assumption Church houses a marble altar donated by legendary comedian Red Skelton and a chapel in the friary also paid for by him in memory of his friend, the late Rev. Edward Carney.

However, the Gothic-style church built in 1871 of granite from Maine and New Hampshire quarries, itself has fallen into disrepair, said the Rev. Jorge Reyes.

The plaster ceilings and walls are badly cracked. A support beam in the basement that spans the entire 120-feet length of the church has split apart and shows signs of sagging. The leather kneelers are tattered from years of genuflecting. And, a problem with humidity has caused some walls to buckle.

Repairs and renovations to the sacristy, confessional, restrooms and exterior of church, and the cost of a new sound system are estimated at $750,000, Reyes said.

The parish has set up a campaign to try to save the 160-year-old Catholic church, known as the Mother Church of the Immigrant City, because it helped establish other parishes in Lawrence, Methuen, Andover and North Andover.

The campaign slogan is: "A Legacy of Faith: A Gift for the Future."

"We wanted to honor this beautiful church, which we received from the Irish immigrants who built it and the work which has been done to keep our faith alive," Reyes said of the slogan. "We want to fix the problems to continue worshipping here and leave something for future generations."

The campaign began two weeks ago with a series of meetings to inform parishioners of the poor condition of the aging church. A video was shown during Mass for members who did not attend the sessions.

"It's not that the church is going to fall on us, but we need to do something now," Reyes said.

Damages include cracked beams in the basement, an ailing ceiling under the choir loft and buckling some of the walls, Additionally, there is a need for updating the sound system and renovating the sacristy, confessional, music storage room and public rest rooms. On the exterior, the church needs new doors, a coat of paint, lighting and resurfacing the parking lots.

Some 44 families have already donated a total of $102,000, said Anna Cardenas, the development director at the church and chairwoman of the campaign.

"I was a little concerned in the beginning because of the way the economy is," said Cardenas. "But people are coming together and helping the church. It's incredible."

Donors include everyone from a elderly female living on Social Security who pledged to give $20 a month to a family who wrote a check for $7,500, the single largest gift in the campaign, so far, Cardenas said.

Started by Irish immigrants in 1871, St. Mary's has been home to countless nationalities over the years. Today it boasts a congregation of 15,000, many of whom are Hispanic and come from Lawrence and Methuen. Some 2,800 people attend any one of seven Masses on Saturdays and Sundays, Reyes said.

In addition to the grey stone church, St. Mary owns four other buildings — St. Mary of the Assumption school; the Parish Center, where the offices are located; St. Mary of the Assumption friary, priests' living quarters and the Sts. Peter and Paul Evangelization Center, used for retreats and evening Masses.

Some of these buildings also need repairs, the cost of which is included in the $750,000 estimate.

The pastor said he hopes to start the repairs in the basement and the roof this spring and summer, before tackling the interior work which includes replacing the stained carpet, plastering and painting the sanctuary, filling hole on the floor.

Reyes said understands the economic crisis the country is facing, but said "there's no better time than now" to make the renovations.

"This is a sacrifice we all have to make. Those who founded the church may have lived in a worse time than we do. We have to think of the people who gave of their time and work to build this church. The legacy we have received should be continued for future generations," Reyes said.

How to become involved

A Legacy of Faith: A Gift for the Future

St. Mary of the Assumption Church, 205 Hampshire St., Lawrence, MA 01841

Attn.: Ana Cardenas, 978-685-1111 ext. 14

Www.stmaryassumption/Lawrence.org

About St. Mary of the Assumption Church

St. Mary Church was dedicated Sept. 3, 1871 at a cost of more than $200,000. The Gothic-style church was of granite brought from the quarries of Maine and New Hampshire.

The steeple is 225 feet high. The top of the Cross is 235 feet from the ground, 15 feet higher than the Bunker Hill Monument.

St. Mary Shrine was dedicated in 1897 and features stained glass windows depicting the Virgin Mary's life.

The last major renovations were done in the 1980s by the Friends of St. Mary. The steeple was sheathed in zinc-coated copper, other work included reroofing the entire church, rewiring the building and fixing stained glass windows.