A historic church on P.E.I.'s Northumberland Strait is selling off waterfront property to cover upkeep of the church and create a legacy for the future.
The Acadian parish of Mont-Carmel, like many historic, rural churches on P.E.I., is having trouble raising sufficient funds from parishioners for upkeep of its buildings. Both the church and the presbytery are in need of painting and repairs worth about $250,000.
Part of the problem is declining church attendance, but that's not the worst of the problem, says parish priest Father Éloi Arsenault. "The costs have gone up. That's the main reason," said Arsenault, in an interview conducted in French with Radio-Canada. "The cost of repairs and upkeep has gone up, way up. The cost of some repairs have gone up 15-fold."
Mont-Carmel Church is more than just the local parish. The century-old church is also a major tourist attraction for P.E.I.'s Évangéline region, drawing about 8,000 visitors a year. It is the beauty of the church's location, on the Northumberland Strait west of Summerside, that is providing a solution for the parish's upkeep troubles.
"We will have enough money not only to pay for the repairs that need to be done now, but also to invest in savings," Richard, also speaking in French, told Radio-Canada.
"The interest alone will allow future generations to take care of our church which will be in good shape when they get it."
Richard hopes the money raised will guarantee the survival of the church as a house of prayer, and as an important tourist attraction in the Évangéline region, for years to come.
From CBC News