SECOND COLLECTION - 20th/21st Jan St John’s Cathedral, Portsmouth Cn. James McAuley, Cathedral Dean writes; “Since September 2022, the parish has paid for emergency repairs of serious leaks in the Blessed Sacrament and St Patrick chapels and in the Discovery Centre, which totalled £23,060. The cost of these repairs was paid for by parishioners, who responded generously to an appeal for contributions. In January 2023, the 120-year-old West Window began to collapse because of deterioration in the lead work. Its restoration was completed in December 2023 at an estimated final cost of more than £100,000. So far, we have raised almost £38,000 towards the cost of restoration. These projects have used up virtually all the Cathedral’s available funds. The heating and electrical systems are in urgent need of upgrading. One of the three boilers, which heat the Cathedral and Cathedral House, has been broken since spring 2022. The money I had allocated to replace it had to be diverted to pay for the repairs to the West Window. The two remaining boilers both failed in late November 2023. After a week of no central heating, the two boilers were repaired, but we have been advised that all three boilers have come to the end of their useful life, having been installed about 25 years ago. In the summer of 2023, the quinquennial architectural survey was completed and the report we received outlined work required over the next five years to the roof, windows, heating, and electrical systems at an estimated cost of more than £1 million. Never has this annual collection by parishes for the Mother Church of the Diocese been more critical or needed. Your support is vitally important to us.” Donations can be by cash or BACS with the reference “Cathedral” or you can use the Dona plates.