OLD ORCHARD BEACH — St. Luke’s Chapel will not open this summer season, as Catholic church officials say the roof needs to be replaced.

“It’s an old cedar roof that’s long past its useful life,” said David Gadbois, business coordinator with Good Shepherd Parish.

The chapel, located at 164 Saco Ave., is a seasonal chapel typically open about two months a year, said Gadbois, and is not winterized.

The chapel has a long, four-sided roof, and Gadbois said it would cost about $40,000 to replace it.

Good Shepherd Parish has begun a fundraising effort to collect money to replace the roof.

Typically, two Masses a week are held in the summer weekends at St. Luke’s. This year, the Masses will be moved to St. Margaret at 6 Saco Ave.

There have been a few summers over the years when St. Luke’s was closed due to priest staffing, said Gadbois.

Masses will be held this summer through Labor Day at St. Margaret on Saturday at 4 p.m., Sunday at 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., and Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8 a.m.

Masses on Sunday mornings have been moved to earlier times to avoid parking issues at peak tourism and beach traffic times, said Gadbois.

St. Luke’s was built in 1969 to accommodate overflow traffic from St. Margaret Church, local historian Dan Blaney wrote in his book about Old Orchard Beach. In December of 1969, the structure collapsed under wet snow after a storm, according to Blaney. The church was rebuilt in 1970 with stronger beams of southern pine from North Carolina, and was ready for parishioners on June 24, 1971, according to Blaney.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or [email protected].