Norwich ― Two years ago, St. Mary Church Pastor Father Bob Washabaugh stood with an architect at the base of the 100-year-old stone and brick bell tower, already surrounded by a safety fence to protect passersby from the potential of falling stones.

“The architect said, ‘I don’t feel comfortable standing inside this fence,’” Washabaugh recalled Thursday.

The entire square tower was in danger of collapse. The parish faced the critical question of trying to raise whatever it would take to restore the tower or decommission the church and, eventually, take the entire 1922 building down.

The oldest Roman Catholic parish in Norwich, founded in 1845, would be disbanded, Washabaugh said. A narrative on the early history of the parish described how the plot of land was chosen for the first church to be “flourishing manufacturing village of Greeneville.” Prior to church construction, Masses were held in private homes or rented halls, the narrative said.

“This church is critical to the immigrant community of Norwich,” Washabaugh said.

That scenario was unthinkable within the Greeneville community and beyond. A successful fundraising campaign garnered the $2 million needed for the tower restoration.

St. Mary raised $800,000 in pledges and donations from parishioners and from fundraisers, food festivals and collections taken at sister parishes throughout the Diocese of Norwich. The state contributed an $800,000 grant championed by state Sen. Cathy Osten. The parish received a $200,000 grant from Preservation Connecticut and a $200,000 loan from Sts. Peter and Paul parish in Norwich.

On June 30, the work was done, and on July 7, the parish celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole.

“If we didn’t fix this tower, what happened in New London could have happened here,” Osten said Thursday while examining the work done and hearing a description of future work needed at the church.

On Jan. 25, the tall stone steeple of the 1850 First Congregational Church in New London suddenly collapsed onto the church body, forcing an emergency demolition of the entire structure.

Local state legislators had secured state grant money for St. Mary and the Greeneville Congregational Church, which also was experiencing structural decay, in the 2023-24 state budgets. The grants were part of historic preservation funding that also included money for structural repairs at two downtown Norwich community theaters.

Osten defended her support for using state money to save a religious building, calling the building a historic centerpiece of the Greeneville mill village and its parish a critical service center for immigrants for nearly 180 years. She pointed to two signs on the front lawn advertising English classes for immigrants in Haitian Creole and Spanish.

Parishioner Elidor Sainterlien and his wife, Velienne Sainterlien, immigrated from Haiti and moved to Norwich two years ago. They bought a house directly across Convent Avenue from the church that stands at the corner of Central and Convent.

Elidor Sainterlien, 64, who works as a community care aide at a facility in Rhode Island, said the tower had just been wrapped in scaffolding when he moved to Norwich.

“This project is wonderful,” Sainterlien said. “This church represents the community of God, because it has a Haitian community, a Spanish community and an American community. When you put it all together, you have multiple people from everywhere creating this church.”

Sainterlien said St. Mary is where many newly arrived immigrants find a safe place to meet people who speak their language, get connections for housing, jobs, English classes and even needed furniture and supplies. He said immigrants want to learn English and work.

“If you don’t have a job,” Sainterlien said, “you feel like you are nothing.”

The tower restoration is done, although metal scaffolding still encases the lower two-thirds of the structure. Washabaugh is eager for the company to take the rest of the framing down, now knowing it is safe to do so.

Shortly after the scaffolding was erected, the parish faced a point of no return, when it had to raise the money and go forward with the project. Because at that point, the scaffolding literally was holding up the tower, Washabaugh said.

Standing in front of the church, the façade shows a before and after look. Pinnacles on the front façade are crumbling in place, while the tower’s newly restored and re-pointed stonework appears fresh and decorative. The security fence must remain, blocking access to the front entrance.

The wooden frames around giant, ornate stained-glass windows are peeling and worn. On the right side, a long, rickety metal handicapped access ramp leads to a side door. On Thursday, entrances on both sides of the church were opened for a time to allow a cross draft to cool the warm sanctuary.

Sister Yannick Saez, who works closely with the parish’s rapidly growing Haitian population, wants to add kitchen renovations to the top priority list for needed upgrades.

Washabaugh said repairing the front façade is the first project to tackle, estimated to cost $500,000. Next would be to replace the handicapped ramp with better “access for all,” Washabaugh said, including better lighting and sound systems. Replacing the inefficient HVAC system and renovating the kitchen would come next.

The parish will seek a $20,000 building assessment grant from Preservation Connecticut to get exact cost figures for the front façade work. Church officials already have discussed energy and lighting upgrades with Norwich Public Utilities, which has incentive programs for upgrades.

Osten pledged to explore future state assistance as well.

“It’s an important historical site in Greeneville,” Osten said. “Without it, it leaves a hole in the community. It ruins the character of the community.”

c.bessette@theday.com