Xolisa MgwatyuThe St Patrick’s-on-the-Hill chapel in Hogsback, which was gutted by fire in June this year, has been restored to its former glory and is ready to host a wedding next weekend.

The chapel, which is remembered fondly by countless newly-weds around the country, burnt down in June due to an electrical fault.

The church was rebuilt thanks to the help of the Hogsback community, congregants and other donors who rallied together and raised funds of more than R100 000.

Church warden Trevor Webster said the love, kindness and warm hearts of many people had made it possible for the chapel to stand again.

“I am absolutely thrilled that it has been restored even more than what it was but it is a great pity that we had to get fire to do this,” he said.

Webster said the chapel was ready to host a wedding next weekend, although final touch ups still needed to be done.

The St Patrick’s-on-the-Hill chapel was originally built by Kenneth Hobart Houghton as a garden chapel for his wife in 1932 and the church has over the past 75 years become a popular wedding spot.

In 1994 the building was extended to allow it to seat at least 70 people.

When the Saturday Dispatch visited the chapel this week, construction workers were hard at work ensuring that everything would be finished in time for the wedding, although new pews will only be installed in January.

Source: Daily Dispatch