St Paul’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral is a universally recognised Grade 1 building of local stone in the World Heritage City of Valletta.  It pays homage to St Paul who was shipwrecked there in about AD 60 and brought Christianity to Malta. 2019 marks the 175th Anniversary of its foundation. The church forms an intrinsic part of the cultural heritage of Malta and contributes a pre-eminent element of Valletta’s architectural landscape and skyline.

Organisers of the Committee to restore the Pro-Cathedral are appealing for extra support after the target for a major restoration project set at €3 million, has now risen to €8 million.

The analysis of the state of the fabric and structural stability of the Cathedral has taken 2 years of the most thorough research and preparation by leading Maltese architects, ‘Architectural Project’ and the project has proved to be more complex and challenging than first envisaged – and inevitably more costly.

Appeal Committee member, Joanna Oswin explains:

“Exterior scanning and geo radar checks of the building have now identified the unexpected presence of iron bracing around the base of the tower and spire, showing signs of corrosion. World War Two bomb damage has also been discovered. The revised completion date of this complex project is now set at late 2021.”

The Appeal has received EU funding of €4.2 million for Phase 1 of the project. Its own fundraising initiatives have raised a further €1.05 million to date – drawn from hundreds of individuals both in Malta and abroad, from special events, from charitable trusts, a number of large corporate donors and from HRH The Prince of Wales. This gives the Appeal budget of €5.25 million – enabling a start on the first phase of the project.

Phase 1 will consist of repairing the most vulnerable part of the Cathedral to ensure the safety and structure of the iconic 60 metre (200 foot) tower and spire. It is hoped to start work on site within the next three months. Tenders have gone out and the bids will be in shortly. This will be followed by the restoration of the external fabric of the church.

The Restoration Appeal application to the EU for funding also included Phase 2 of the project, for which funding is still under review. This focuses essentially on the roof and ceiling of the Cathedral, amounting in all to a further €3 or €4 million. Organisers hoped that this might become available in due course, dependent on how other government bids for EU funding progress. Further funds are needed for professional and technical fees, not covered by EU funding.  The project needs prepared to withstand further changes to plan if new situations arise.

The Restoration Appeal committees, both in Malta and the UK, are continuing their major fundraising campaigns to save this magnificent cathedral which is such an iconic feature of the Valletta skyline.

Joanna Oswin tells us:

“The target has more than doubled to €8 million – but the good news is that we have now received a substantial grant from the EU.  However, we’ve still got a long way to go and every bit of support is important to us.”

She adds:

“When the restoration has been completed, the Cathedral will stand at the epicentre of an economically and culturally regenerated part of the capital city and act as a vibrant community centre and tourist attraction.”

Since its launch in March 2017, the Appeal has attracted some prominent press coverage, including in the Sunday Times in the UK, and the Times of Malta, most recently in February. The project has also attracted ecumenical support from the Roman Catholic Bishop of Gozo, who organised a collection during Lent 2017.

For further information and details of how donate are at: www.savethecathedral.com