Mount St. Peter Catholic Church in New Kensington likely will be open for Friday’s fish fry and Holy Week Masses following air quality testing this week.
On Monday morning, the New Kensington Catholic Community, comprising Mount St. Peter, St. Mary Czestochowa and St. Joseph churches, announced via Facebook that a water leak had been found in the former convent building on the Mount St. Peter campus and that mold “mitigation must begin immediately.”
“They believe the leak was in the roof,” said Cliff Gorski, chief communications officer for the Diocese of Greensburg.
He said the former convent building is used mostly for storage.
The building is connected to the current convent by a small breezeway that is not accessible to foot traffic, Gorski said.
He said he believes it also closed off the air flow.
Gorski said air quality testing was being done in the church and both Mary Queen of Apostles School locations out of “an abundance of caution.”
The school has sites along Freeport and Elmtree roads in New Kensington.
Classes at the school’s Freeport Road site are remote through Thursday, Gorski said.
He said they expect testing to be done by Thursday and will update parents about school instruction later in the week.
“It should be wrapped up by midweek,” he said.
The Monday morning post said parish staff should not report and that the church building is closed during testing.
Morning Mass for Tuesday and Wednesday are being celebrated at St. Mary of Czestochowa, according to a Tuesday morning post on the Catholic Community Facebook page. The post also suggested people could attend St. Joseph for Mass at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday or 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Gorski said the mold was found on a masonry joint, the mortar that holds bricks together, near the roof of the building. He said he wasn’t sure of the extent of the mold but didn’t believe it was a lot.
The water leak was likely a new issue caused by heavy rainfall and wind over the past few weeks, he said.
“I don’t expect it would be a major (construction) project,” Gorski said.
Mold can cause health issues, including asthma, allergic reactions and irritation to the eyes, nose, throat and lungs, according to the Environmental Protection Agency website. The key to mold mitigation is moisture control.
Mold cleanup may include scrubbing and disinfecting surfaces, throwing away damaged, porous materials and fixing any leaks, according to the EPA.
Gorski said cleanup would be done by Gibsonia-based Corwin Inspections.
The company could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday.
Updates on the church likely will be posted to Facebook, Gorski said.
“(The Rev. Daniel) Blout will communicate what the Mass schedule will be,” Gorski said.
