Renovations to St. John the Evangelist Church on South Main Street are nearly complete after months of intense construction, which for a period of time forced worshippers to hold services under a tent.

Services inside the church resumed in November, and Christ the King parish on Friday invited the Monitor in to see the progress.

Passers-by will notice a new gathering space at the entrance, known as a narthex, which includes stained-glass windows from the old St. Peter’s Church building. A glass partition and doors separate the narthex from the worship space, allowing it to be used by parents with young children during services. The extension of the narthex is made of glass, making the inside of the church visible from outside and more welcoming to visitors.

Inside, the entire church was washed and was painted with the original color palette and original stenciling design.

The pews from St. Peter’s, which was demolished in 2019 to make way from a new residential development, were used throughout the church.

Other project features include a replacement of two-thirds of the slate roof, the raising of the front terrace, new ramps from the parking lot and new access to the prayer garden.

St. John the Evangelist Church, completed in 1869, was the first Catholic church built in Concord.

For more details about the project, visit rrmmchristtheking.wordpress.com.

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