Renovations in the historic Trinity Church began yesterday to rid the Boston sanctuary of the long-time damages left by the rain, wind and pollution of a urban environment.

‘The 125-year-old church is a masterpiece of American Architecture that needs to be restored,’ said David Trueblood, director of communications at Trinity. ‘It is a spiritual home that helps to define the community, not just internally but in the context of Boston and we need to secure its power for the future.’

The architectural firm Goody, Clancy ‘ Associates plans to undergo a variety of transformations in the $42 million project such as the removal and replacement of wooden elements and cracked stones.

The largest repair involves ‘work done on the scaffolding of the external skin of the great central tower,’ Trueblood said. The mortar needs to be removed and replaced, and the cement that has become ‘damaged, broken or brittle with age needs to be taken away,’ he said.

It will be a long and tedious process for workers but will strengthen the tower and stop water from leaking through it now and in the future, he said.

In addition to the rigorous construction, the environment of Copley Square will also challenge workers both up on the high tower and underneath the building itself.

‘Copley is about as close to Mount Washington as one can get in the city,’ Trueblood said. ‘It gets very windy and when the weather gets bad, it’s always worse in the square.’

Trueblood said the Back Bay area is built on wood pilings that need to be kept wet to prevent rotting.

‘We expect to find some damage to the pilings and we will have to get them out from under the building to replace them. But we can’t exactly move the building aside to get that done,’ he said.

Trinity, however, not only needs a facelift but also some deeper repairs. The church hopes to raise a total of $68 million to make over the building both inside and out.

‘If we are going to take on this enormous task, we need to end up by strengthening everything we do as a community,’ Trueblood said. ‘We need to strengthen our endowment so work can be done even when the congregation and resources are not as big as they are today.’

A large amount of the money will also be used to support outreach programs and other educational curriculums. Important contributions to the statewide Episcopal Church to which Trinity belongs will be made as well.

The bulk of funding comes from donations made by individual members of the parish, Trueblood said. Local foundations have also made two large anonymous donations.

‘The church really needs [this renovation] now,’ he said. ‘The life of the parish rises and falls and right now is one of those times where we feel very lucky and blessed to take on this huge project.’

Talks of renovations have been going on for seven or eight years, maybe even more, Trueblood said, even though ‘the vision goes back to 1993.’ Current rector, Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd III joined the staff that year, looked around, and ‘realized that we have a magnificent space to worship but not to educate the community and expand the church,’ he said.

‘Trinity Church lets us be who we are,’ Trueblood said. ‘It shapes and defines us. We need to secure it now that we have the ability to do so.’