NORFOLK, Va. — For the first time in years, a historic church in Hampton Roads is once again holding Christmas mass in the place it’s always called home.
The congregation at The Basilica of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception is currently America's only historically African-American Basilica, originally founded in 1791.
In 2016, the church began work on leaks and water damage within the building, with an initial budget of $120,000. Over time, Father Jim Curran has watched as issue after issue unfolded.
“Project manager would say, 'Sit down,' and said, 'The entire structure is rotted.' All the water that came in had rotted away," Curran said.
The cost of renovations have since climbed to just under $7 million, as parishioners were moved to a separate part of the building to continue mass through the years of construction.
“It's the people that bring the worship, they bring the beauty," Curran said.
Adding further to the construction's timeline came the COVID pandemic, affecting the church's timeline of completing renovations before the end of 2020.
“We couldn’t schedule people working in the same place at the same time. People would come in to do one thing and then leave to do another," Curran said.
But every fresh cut of wood or swing of the hammer brings the church one step closer to becoming whole once again. This December, Sunday mass was moved back to inside the church's original walls, with renovations coming closer to being completed. The church still maintains a limit of 80 people per mass, and requires face masks during prayer, and doesn't allow congregating within the building.
“It's unnerving to be the one ultimately responsible. If there’s an outbreak, that’s on me," Curran said.
But normalcy is slowly returning for his congregation. With renovations almost complete (a target end date of January 2021), Father Curran is preparing for the church's first Christmas mass inside its original historic walls.
A glimmer of light to end what he calls an otherwise dark year.
“This Christmas more than any other is so vital, we’re forced to remove the other distractions and realize that this has been a dark year. While it's been a very dark year, but it has not consumed the light," Curran said.
Anyone who wishes to attend the Christmas mass in person must register beforehand, as the service will be limited to virtual participation as well as limited in-person attendance.