Changes and repairs begin at St. Anne’s as national campaign set to begin

Keeping St. Anne’s Shrine open with a volunteer crew isn’t easy, however, St. Anne’s Preservation Society still continues to make progress with repairs to the property.

The Shrine opened Thursday, July 4th, on the anniversary of the 1906 dedication of the building’s upper church and has been open daily seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Several activities have also taken place including a mass, a concert, and daily novenas in the summer.

Now Richie Affonso is issuing an update on the progress taking place and what lies ahead in the near future.

“(Friday) Bay State sewage disposal came in at 5:30 a.m. and spent seven hours cleaning and jetting the sewers that lead to the street. There were upwards of two and a half feet of dirt blocking the lines to the street. It proved to be successful for most of the drains. However we do have two drains that the pipes have collapsed and need repairs. Our biggest issue right now is the water that comes into the Shrine every time it rains.”

Due to the recent heavy rain, volunteers were cleaning water from the Shrine Saturday morning.

So far the St. Anne’s Preservation Society has made repairs to the boiler and sprinkler systems, installed video surveillance for everyone’s protection, charged all the fire extinguishers, established a small store & also had inspections from the city.

“Next we will be addressing the gutters. We continue everyday to improve St. Anne’s and are saving every penny we get for repairs and cost of operation.”

After a previous fundraiser, the group’s fundraising plans are also beginning to take shape.

“We have applied to Facebook to put a donate button on our page which takes about two weeks. Once the holiday season is done we will be launching a campaign nationally to achieve our goal.”

Affonso’s hard work and belief has never wavered and there are no signs of that changing.

“We want to say thank you all for being patient and supporting St. Anne’s. WE WILL SAVE ST. ANNE’S!”

If you are interested in volunteering your time or donating toward the repair efforts, you can e-mail at st.annespreservationsociety@gmail.com or drop by the Shrine.