Detroit Church Sends SOS: Save Our Steeples
DETROIT (WWJ) - Plans are in the works to repair a leaning church steeple along I-75, months after officials contemplated taking it down for safety.
The main spire over St. Josaphat Church on Canfield Street, near I-75, was damaged last November by storms with wind gusts of up to 70 mph, which left a noticeable curve in the steeple.
Kevin Piotrowski, Parish Council President, said they were forced to shut the church down because the steeple was found unsafe. Early on, crews feared the steeple would have to be taken down, but Gregory Rogers, who has a bird's-eye view of the leaning steeple from his apartment window, said that plan has changed.
"They had the engineers from the city come out and look at it and they took all the slate tile off of it," Rogers told WWJ's Mike Campbell. "So now, they're getting contractors bidding on it to see if they can just come and put a regular roof on it."
To help pay for the steeple repair, the Mother of Divine Mercy Parish has put out an SOS -- a call to "Save Our Steeples."
"There's a website and they're taking donations to get it fixed. So, I imagine they plan on opening it back up," Rogers said. "God's got a plan for them."
To donate to the cause, visit www.motherofdivinemercy.com.