ST DUBRICIUS, the Whitchurch Parish Church, has been closed since February, when Storm Dennis struck, overtopping their flood barrier.
The church suffered the worst floods in over 200 years, and it has taken almost three months to dry out, but now restoration work has been able to take place.
Sue Morris, who has been a church warden for five years at St Dubricius, said: “The church lost everything apart from the pews and the altar – we managed to save the altar frontals.
“We lost all of the hymn books, the organ, and even the handmade cushions and kneelers, which had been dedicated to people, so it’s been a very emotional time.
“St Dubricius is still a building site, though it has been decorated, and we have recently had a new kitchen fitted.
“However, it is still a work in process, as the floodwater caused a lot of electrical issues.
“We were lucky, as before lockdown, we were able to use the local memorial hall in Whitchurch to hold services, as well as the community lunches.
“Some of us have been helping with shopping, collecting medicines and phoning those who are on their own – general volunteer work for the elderly and vulnerable.
“We have members of our congregation who come from local communities, Ross, Monmouth, as well as holidaymakers who usually come to us each summer. So we have set up Tulip Tree News to keep many of these people in contact with the church and local area.
“Hopefully, we should be open in the autumn, though we don’t have an official completion date yet.
“The closest neighbouring church is Ganarew, if you contact the church warden, you can enter for private prayer, but it has to be sanitised by the steward afterwards.”
The ongoing repairs of the church relies heavily on peoples’ generosity, if you would like to support St Dubricius, you can make an online donation at achurchnearyou.com.
