St John's Catholic Cathedral, Portsmouth, undergoes urgent repairs after discovery that historic window could have collapsed into the building

The stained glass window at the west end of St John’s Catholic Cathedral in Bishop Christian Way, near Victoria Park, has now been removed and replaced with temporary perspex replacements while the undergo painstaking repairs. ‘Unsightly’ scaffolding and plastic covering has been put in place during the restoration, which is hoped to be completed by October. Specialist contractors are currently re-leading the window, which is more than a century old, in Somerset and it is hoped that it will back in place in November. The project will cost an estimated £120,000.

The project began in January when dean of the cathedral Father James McAuley made the discovery, and the window was removed at the beginning of July following assessment.

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Father James McAuley said: “I was celebrating mass at the altar here and I looked up towards the west end of the cathedral. I thought to myself ‘oh, there are two holes in the window.’ That was the beginning of the project. We discovered that the window was in imminent danger of collapse due to weakened leadwork.

“The window faces Southwest so it receives the prevailing winds - there have been a number of major storms in recent years which haven’t helped - but the main reason is lead-work, after almost 120 years, has deteriorated to such an extent that the glass was barely being held in place."

The cathedral has launched a fundraising drive – the Cathedral West Window Appeal – and is asking local people to donate to the restoration project. The 228 square foot window was installed in 1906 and depicts six saints and some angels. It is formed of six stained glass panels which are held together by lead latticework. It is the oldest of the cathedral’s windows as the others were destroyed in the second world war when a bomb directly hit the adjacent Bishop’s House.

Father McAuley added: “The idea is that the window will be restored to its original splendour. We’re very much looking forward the window being put back in again and the scaffolding being removed.”

Local parishioner Sarah Jankowski, who volunteers at the cathedral, said: “I have lived in Portsmouth for a very long time, forty five years and attended the cathedral as a Catholic for about ten years. This cathedral is a beacon of hope, love, home and community. I believe that conservation of the environment and spiritual buildings have a common theme. The theme of protecting a legacy for future generations so that they may flourish mentally and physically alike. The trees are the lungs of the city, this Cathedral I would argue is part of the essential heart and soul. We need them all working together with the community to keep all of us fit and well. We are not just raising money for stained glass windows. We are conserving our future, a place we recognise as home.”

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To contribute towards the repairs, text WINDOW to 70560 to donate £10 to the appeal. Texts cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message, and donors will receive periodic updates on the campaign. To donate without being updated, text WINDOWNOINFO instead.