Historic church gets $10-million offer from anonymous donor: 'maybe from heaven'

Eglise Sainte Marie has been closed for more than three years. (Paul Hollingsworth/CTV Atlantic)

Église Sainte-Marie towers over Church Point, N.S.

It's North America's largest wooden church.

But until recently, parishioners had reluctantly accepted it may come down.

“Since we had worked on it for seven years without any great success,” said Pierre Comeau, the president of the Society for the Preservation of Église Sainte-Marie.

Years of efforts to save the church turned up empty until suddenly it received a potential gift.

An anonymous donor has offered to restore and help with ongoing operational and maintenance costs of the church. The price tag is about $10 million.

“This comes out of I don’t know, since it’s a church, maybe from heaven,” said Comeau.

The offer isn't final and comes with a condition that the church stays active.

It hasn't held a service for more than three years but is still woven into the fabric of the community.

“It basically represents the ingenuity and perseverance of the Acadians of the early 20th century,” said Andre Valotaire, former parish president who is also an administrator and custodian of the church.

The offer comes as Église Saint-Bernard, another catholic church a few kilometres away, is for sale. That listing prompted hundreds of offers from all over.

Both historic churches have been challenged by a dwindling congregation but now there is hope.

The inside of Eglise Sainte Marie in Church Point, N.S., is pictured. (Paul Hollingsworth/CTV)

“It's not written in stone yet. There are a few hurdles to jump over and a few finalized details that need to be put together before the actual agreement for funding is signed,” said Valotaire.

Archbishop Brian Dunn will hold three meetings later this week to share information and receive feedback from parishioners.

“It's not a done deal yet but the offer is on the table and I can't emphasize too much that it's a fantastic offer,” said Comeau.

A window to save a church many believed had already closed.

Meetings:

• The first meeting will be Friday, April 14 at 7 pm at the Saulnierville parish hall;
• The second meeting will be Saturday, April 15 at 10 am at the Meteghan parish hall;
• The third meeting will be Saturday, April 15 at 1 pm at the Saint-Alphonse parish hall.