LAKE HUNTINGTON  — The century-old, Lake Huntington-based Our Lady of Lake Catholic Church will be seeing a major facelift soon with the removal of its steeple.

The precariously tilting bell and steeple that has been  leaning backwards for years  is being carefully dismantled and removed, thanks to the efforts of contractor Billman and Ross. The company began working at the site Tuesday morning.

While Lake Huntington resident Mary Jane Nober, a member of the parish, is unsure  the project will be totally finished, she confirms that there will not be a new steeple to replace the removed one. Billman and Ross reportedly suggested that dismantling rather than demolition was the safest and only solution, as they specialize in churches.

She stated that there are talks of a cross to adorn the spot where the steeple once stood, however nothing has been decided at this time.

“It’s basically in need of repair,” confirmed Mary Jane. “They are trying to do a little spruce-up.”

The spruce-up project gets its origins from the incoming priest, Wenceslaus Rodrigues, who arrived roughly a year ago.

“With a new priest there usually comes changes,” stated Mary Jane. “We received some funding from the Archdiocese Renew and Rebuild Campaign which raised $21,689 and our community has been very generous and supportive.”

This past Sunday’s collection, with the additional collections these past six weeks, saw the raising of a little over $12,000.

In the meantime, the church will continue to remain open during this period for regular Masses.

“The community really has been very, very generous,” stated Mary Jane. “We are also doing some painting on the exterior and there will also be a few other small projects as well.”