Grenada's hurricane-damaged Catholic churches and related buildings are being restored according to a schedule based on the possibility and urgency of repairs, the need for total reconstruction, and some local factors.

A church release quoted Chairman of the Diocesan Building Committee Father Sean Doggett as saying that the total cost of the work to be done on the buildings will exceed $EC10 million. In all, 35 out of 58 buildings - cathedral, parish churches and chapels - need post-Ivan work, along with a number of presbyteries and schools.

Roman Catholic Bishop Vincent Darius told participants at October 16 weekend workshops, at which possible new designs for church interiors were discussed, that "rebuilding will proceed as we have the money," with $EC 2 million needed for a start on the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in St. George's. Fr. Doggett said that "ways for Grenadians to contribute are being devised, and all will be asked."

The first step in post-Ivan recovery was supervised by Bernard Lauwyck, structural engineer for the diocese of Roseau, Dominica. He examined roofs, walls and other building parts to determine whether complete reconstruction was needed or repairs could safely be done.

Scheduling and oversight of repairs and rebuilding is being directed by the diocesan building committee named by Bishop Darius. Its members, chaired by Fr. Doggett, are Ian Alexander, Maureen Alexander, Rudi Dolland, Meryl Forsythe, Joe Gilbert, Carlyle Glean, Rudolph Griffith and Clifton Harris.

Work began with buildings that suffered moderate damaged but would deteriorate rapidly if their roofs were not mended to prevent further water damage. These included the Battle Hill shrine, and parish churches at Sauteurs, Gouyave, Grand Roy and Grenville. These roofs have been repaired, but some refurbishing work remains to be completed.

In a similar category is Blessed Sacrament parish church at Grand Anse. A major renovation was being planned before Ivan struck, and this project is now going ahead, along with hurricane-related repairs. However the Grand Anse parish chapel at Calliste must be totally rebuilt. Ivan left churches with sound walls but major roof damage in Crochu, Birch Grove and St. David's.

For the first two of these, new steel roof frames and coverings have been erected by the Caribbean team of J.B. Charpente, a company owned by Jacques Béasse of St. Martin and Gaudeloupe. The same company is supplying special steel roof sheeting for St. David's church.

Left without roofs or sound walls were the Cathedral in St. George's, and parish churches at Perdmontemps, Roxborough, Beaulieu and Woburn. With varying designs still to be determined, a J.B. Charpente steel frame and roof is planned for each of these, work most advanced at Beaulieu. The 205-year-old cathedral was left with only its front tower and rear sanctuary alcove in sound condition.

The erection of a steel frame for roof and walls, and removal of the unsafe old side walls, will provide a somewhat enlarged interior, still to be designed. In the cathedral parish, outlying chapels at Happy Hill, Brizan and Tempe have been able to continue functioning after repairs to roofs that suffered minor to moderate damage.

However, Ivan demolished parish chapels at Mt. Moritz, Fontenoy, River Road and Belmont. Rebuilding plans for these are still to be developed. Ivan did little damage to buildings on Carriacou, Petit Martinique and Windward, but they were damaged by Hurricane Emily earlier this year.

In St. Patrick's parish, chapels at Chantimelle and Mt. Alexandra escaped damage. Similarly, the parish church at Victoria and its chapel at Duquesne needed no special repairs. Besides extensive repairs to St. Peter's parish church in Gouyave, work had to be done on its chapels at Florida and Clozier. The chapel at Mt. Grandby was repaired by the Anglican community there who share in using it.

Christ the King parish church at Grand Roy had major roof damage, but its chapel at Concord suffered little damage. Woburn's St. Michael's parish needed a whole new church, as does the parish of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Fatima at Roxborough. Its Mt. Parnassus chapel escaped damage, but the La Borie chapel needed new roof sheeting.

Massive damage was done to St. Dominic's parish church at Perdmontemps, and to its chapel at Vincennes, with lesser problems at the Petit Bacaye chapel.
The parish church at St. David's and its chapel at Corinth both needed extensive roof repairs.

At Crochu, St. Martin de Porres parish church was left roofless, as was the St. Joseph chapel at Pomme Rose. Minor repairs were needed for St. Andrew's parish church in Grenville, its chapels at Paraclete and Mt. St. Ervan's, and the school at Paradise used for church services.

At Beaulieu, a steel frame has been erected for a new parish church, roof repairs have been done for the chapel at La Mode, and the chapel at Vendome will have to be totally rebuilt after a land subsidence problem is solved. St. Matthew's parish at Birch Grove needed a new roof atop solid walls, some repairs were done to the chapel at Bylands, but the chapel at Morne Longue was flattened.

Parish churches at River Sallee and Tivoli escaped major damage, as did Tivoli's chapels at Moyah, Hermitage and Mt. Rose. Repairs are completed or almost done on presbyteries at Sauteurs, Grand Anse, Perdmontemps, Beaulieu, Crochu, Munich and Birch Grove.

Immediate temporary repairs had to be done at the cathedral and St. David's parish. Work is still to start at Battle Hill. Grand Roy and Grenville had presbytery projects in the works before Ivan struck, and these are being developed. Schools received aid immediately after Hurricane Ivan to clear debris and resume classes.

UNICEF tents gave temporary shelter, and other aid came from the World Bank, USAID, the Eastern Caribbean Development Bank and the government of Grenada.

For two Catholic schools that received no such aid, the diocese replaced UNICEF tents with a temporary wooden building for Holy Cross school at Munich, and at Vendome a pre-fabricated building was donated by the U.S. Catholic charity, Cross International.