Brother judges restoration entries

Brother Ken Vance SJ of St Francis Xavier's Church in Liverpool was among the judges of the first Project Restore competition organised by Hayes and Finch.  The Jesuit was joined by the Archdeacon of London, Canon David Meara, in selecting items considered worthy of restoration funds.  The winners of the initiative to bring some of the country's most significant religious and historical items back into public use have now been announced.

The first prize of £1,500 worth of restoration work was made to St Peter and St Paul Catholic Church in Ilford and its seven feet tall Victorian paschal candle stand.  All Saints Church in Edmonton and All Saints Franciscan Friary in Barton-upon-Irwell have been awarded runner-up status, winning £750 worth of restoration each.  The Edmonton church will see a processional cross dating back to the First World War restored, while the Friary will see its sanctuary lamp repaired.

Hayes and Finch launched Project Restore in July and invited churches of all denominations across the UK to nominate items that they felt were worthy of repair.  Judges received a range of entries including chairs, communion cups and thuribles.

'The judges found it very difficult to compile a shortlist from the many beautiful objects submitted for consideration,' said Brother Ken. 'However, the paschal candle stand was unanimously chosen for its beauty and for the fact that it needed loving restoration before it could be returned to its rightful place in Ilford's first Catholic Church.'

Hayes and Finch was established as a manufacturer of candles and church furnishings in Liverpool in 1882.  Its specialist metal shop will carry out the restoration works over the coming weeks.

Karen Reilly, marketing director at Hayes & Finch, said: 'With such demands on church funds there's often little left in the pot for repairing and maintaining religious items and artefacts and this project was borne out of our desire to help.

'We're delighted that three key pieces of religious history can now be restored and returned to regular use within those local communities.  We've been so overwhelmed by the quality and volume of the entries that we will be looking to run the competition again in 2010.'


 Hayes & Finch