Pärnu St Elizabeth’s Parish is continuing the restoration of the church windows. In June, with support from Pärnu City Government and private donors, the windows of the confirmation hall were restored both inside and out. On Saturday, 27 June, restoration began on the outer window in the east wall of the chancel. This is the last window in the restored façade section of the church that still needs attention.
The parish thanks everyone whose support has made the necessary work possible.
Donations have so far covered one third of the parish’s share of the cost of restoring the outer window in the east wall of the chancel. Approximately €2,500 is still needed to complete the work. The parish invites everyone who is able to support the restoration of the church windows, using “for church repairs” as the payment reference.
A large part of the parish’s resources is spent on repairs to the church building, while the everyday work of the parish, heating and other unavoidable expenses must also be covered. Parishes depend primarily on donations from their members and other generous people, rather than on regular funding from the state budget.
Several extensive restoration projects have been completed at St Elizabeth’s Church in recent years. Earlier reports on the parish website have covered repairs to the roof structures and cornices, renewal of the façade facing Nikolai Street, and restoration of the outer door of the confirmation hall. Future work will include the church ceiling, the fence along Nikolai Street, the tower and the organ in the side aisle.
The work at St Elizabeth’s Church is part of a wider endeavour shared by parishes throughout Estonia. Caring for historic churches is not merely a matter of repairing buildings, but also of preserving a spiritual, cultural and artistic heritage. This work often places a considerable financial burden on parishes and can only be accomplished through cooperation between local authorities, the state, supporters and generous donors.
How can I help?
You can support the work of Pärnu St Elizabeth’s Parish and the restoration of the church by bank transfer. When supporting restoration work, please use “for church repairs” as the payment reference. Donations may be transferred to the LHV account EE837700771011741975 or the SEB account EE111010902000838001. The beneficiary should be entered respectively as Eesti Evangeelse Luterliku Kiriku Pärnu Eliisabeti Kogudus or EELK Pärnu Eliisabeti kogudus.
Direct bank links are available on the donations page of this website.
Cash donations can also be made at the parish office. Donors may be eligible for an Estonian income-tax deduction if the parish has their Estonian personal identification code.
