Four religious denominations have expressed interest in purchasing St. Brigid's Church in Lowertown, a spokesman for Archbishop Marcel Gervais said yesterday.

Guy Lajoie said the four interested parties "are all churches."

While Mr. Lajoie would not reveal what denominations they are, he said the potential buyers are aware of the provincial and city heritage designations protecting the building and the work needed to repair its roof.

Officials from the Anglican, Orthodox and Lutheran churches said they were not involved in the negotiations and did not know which denominations were.

"For the most part we are smaller churches around the city," said Rev. Barton Beglo, pastor of St. Peter's Lutheran Church. "And there's only so many we could operate in the downtown core."

Denominations and individual churches that draw specific ethnic groups are the fastest growing, Rev. Beglo said, and that might be where the offers are coming from.

"There might be some ethnically driven church that would be interested," he said, adding the many denominations would be able to adapt or work around the heritage designations that protect the building.

An official from the provincial agency that has a contractual agreement, or easement, with the Archdiocese of Ottawa to protect St. Brigid's said the easement is fairly open when it comes to other denominations moving in.

However, Sean Fraser, manager of conservation services at the Ontario Heritage Trust, said any new buyer will be responsible for fixing the church's roof. If no one buys it, the archdiocese will be responsible.

Mr. Fraser and his staff inspected the 116-year-old building last week and found the roof needs immediate work.

A report is being sent to the archdiocese in the next few weeks along with a note encouraging Roman Catholic leaders to accept $25,000 in provincial funding to repair the roof.

St. Brigid's parishioners sent an application to the province earlier this month to secure funding for the roof, but Mr. Fraser said the archdiocese must be the one to accept the money.

If the roof deteriorates badly enough, the province could repair it for the archdiocese, then file a lien against the building, but Mr. Fraser said that would be a last resort.

Mr. Lajoie said even with the province offering funds to help repair St. Brigid's, the archdiocese is committed to selling the building and the provincial funds could "make it more attractive for buyers."