It’s been quite a month for the steeples at the Sweetest Heart of Mary church. The Mother of Divine Mercy church council went to the Historic District Commission earlier this month with the request to take down the damaged steeples. According to the Detroit News, the HDC couldn’t get the votes they needed to allow the church to do this, so the motion was tabled. The church is now undergoing a major fundraising campaign to raise the funds needed to repair the steeples.

They’re looking to raise $2.1 million.

The steeples date back to 1892 and the church now considers the spires at the top a safety hazard. According to the fundraising campaign:

“Water has infiltrated the wooden structure, timbers are rotting, the spires are unstable, and quite simply there is a safety hazard and they need to be repaired/replaced. Either option will cost our parish between $1.4 and $2.1 million for the spires alone, depending on the option selected (repair or replace) which depends on the amount of money raised. That is only a portion of the multi-million dollars needed for the parish to care for two historic churches - Sweetest Heart of Mary and St. Josaphat - as well as the other historic buildings on the two campuses.”

The parish has an extensive five-year plan to repair multiple issues within the Sweetest Heart of Mary and St. Josaphat churches.

More information on the steeples and the fundraiser can be found here.