Tokoroa parish looks to old story as it gets help with its new roof

The current clay tile roof of St Pius X church in Tokoroa is being replaced by a much lighter steel roof. The old roof had its share of issues, said parish priest Fr Robert Sharplin.

“Sand was building up in the gutters and water had started to seep into the ceiling cavity,” Fr Sharplin said.

The Tokoroa community has helped out with donations for the roof replacement. The approach is reminiscent of the church’s construction, when much of the work was undertaken by volunteers under the leadership of the late Fr John J. O’Connor.

Fr O’Connor would often go down to the Tokoroa Old Pub and ask patrons if they would help out with a concrete pour in exchange for a few beers, Fr Sharplin said.

“The community always showed up the next morning. O’Connor himself was no stranger to the tools – he’d climb ladders, walk the beams, and labour right alongside the crew.”

The new four-tonne steel roof should ease pressure on the building’s structure. To protect the exterior, a large tarpaulin currently shields the building. Special protection for the church’s stained-glass windows was imported from Belgium.

The roof replacement is being carried out by local business Alan Wilson Building Contractors and is being overseen by parish members Richard Mace and Rod Nicholas.

FULL STORY

Saint Pius X Catholic Church Tokoroa gets new roof thanks to community – NZ Herald (By John Van de Ven/Waikato Herald)