Like so many of you, my heart sank as I watched the fire race across the roof of St. John’s church, the billowing black smoke clouding the sky and the flames of fire that leapt into the air, consuming and destroying everything in it’s path, first the roof and then the spire that eventually came crashing down in front of the church. We all know how powerful, destructive and devastating fire can be, but our faith tells us it can also be transforming.
Before ascending into heaven, Jesus asked his disciples to remain in Jerusalem and await the coming of the Holy Spirit. This they did, and today we hear an account of Pentecost, that powerful day when the Holy Spirit descended upon those first disciples. With a noise like a strong driving wind and tongues of fire that came from the sky, the Holy Spirit transformed the disciples and gave birth to the missionary church. This Church would go forth to the ends of the earth proclaiming that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, through whom God offers us salvation and forgiveness of sins. From this day forward, the Apostles would go on to courageously and boldly preach the Good News, no longer afraid that they might be arrested or put to death for their faith.
And because of those first Apostles experienced those tongues of fire and responded to the promptings of the Spirit within them, the Church grew. And because of the response countless Christians over the ages, with hearts burning within them, the fire of faith has been handed on from generation to generation, making it possible for us to gather today to hear this message of salvation, to celebrate the liturgy, to receive the Lord in the Eucharist.
And today, it rests on our shoulders to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, in the words of 2 Timothy, “to stir into flame the gift of God,” and to do our part to build up the kingdom of God. If we feel inadequate or not up to the task, Paul reminds us that we all have received the same Spirit the Apostles received. At our baptism, we received the same Holy Spirit who enflamed the hearts of those first Apostles with courage and zeal. At Confirmation, we received the fullness of those gifts to better equip us to fulfill the particular life of service we are called to.
On this day of Pentecost, let us ask the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with the fire of his love and transform us so that knowing, loving and serving God, we will joyfully radiate the Light of Christ to all through love, compassion and example on our journey towards heaven.
Knowing that the church is the heart of our community and so many hearts are hurting with the devastating fire at St. John’s, we want to offer some words of assurance and hope. First, we want to assure all St. John the Baptist parishioners that we are praying for you, we support you and we welcome you to all of our Christ Our Light churches. We know it may not feel like home, but we pray that with our welcome, it will become a home away from home. We also want to assure you that we are working quickly and diligently on many aspects of St. John Church. Here is an update of what is happening.
First On Site, the restoration company, has been securing the site for safety with fencing and security personnel as there are nails laying everywhere, debris and still a risk of things falling. They are also securing the site to protect what’s inside, especially the sacred items we hope to salvage and preserve. We are cooperating with fire investigators and insurance agents, so they can do their work and provide the best settlement for us going forward.
Once we have the okay, First Onsite will have crews in place to continue salvaging and preserving all that they can. There are a number of items that have already been retrieved. Most of the vestments have been saved. They have smoke damage and will need to be dry cleaned, but will be usable for years to come. The monstrance which holds the blessed sacrament for adoration, a free standing cross from the sacristy and many of the sacred vessels have already been cleaned and we hope to use for upcoming St. John Masses at Precious Blood. The Advent candle stand with purple and pink bows still attached needs to be cleaned but is in good shape. The cranes lifted out several of the large columns from inside church that were in danger of falling and others will be addressed soon. Locating and securing the tabernacle is a top priority, but it is buried in rubble and will take time to access and dig out. They will be retrieving the stations, art work and other liturgical furnishings that remain. Local vendors who have worked on the windows and organ over the years have already been contacted and we are making plans for how best to secure and salvage what remains and what can be used in the future. While we know many would like to help in the church, we need to let the salvage and restoration specialists do their work. They know what to look for, how best to get at it and preserve it. A few parishioners familiar with things in church and where they were located will be helping.
This will be a long and complicated process, but we are also confident that we have the right people in place to help us. The Archdiocese has been giving this project their full attention, personnel and resources to help us. They are helping us do things we could never do on our own. This past week, the Archbishop approved an Archdiocesan wide collection for St. John Church sometime this summer. It will be similar to collections taken up after devastating tornados, hurricanes or other disasters. They are also extending online giving options nationally as we’ve had numerous requests from people wanting to help. All these funds collected by the Archdiocesan Stewardship office will be coming back to St. John’s Church. Please note there has been at least one website trying to sell things on behalf of St. John’s that has not been approved by us. Any fundraising efforts approved by St. John’s will be listed on the Marion Catholic Community website.
As the fire mitigation and salvage efforts continue, structural engineers and other professionals will be assessing the integrity of the remaining walls and what St. John Church may look like in the future. Within 3 to 4 months, they hope to have several options for us to consider and then as a parish we will discern and decide the best path forward. As mentioned previously, this is a long process that could take several years, so we need to be patient, continue working with the professionals and Archdiocesan staff helping us and trusting in the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We are setting up a page on the Marion Catholic Community website that will have periodic updates to keep you informed.
While the fire has been devastating for St. John Church and our community, we also know the fire of the Holy Spirit is transforming and already working in our midst. May the Holy Spirit continue to lead and guide us in all that lies ahead.
- Fr. Ken Schnipke, C.PP.S., Christ Our Light Family of Parishes
And because of those first Apostles experienced those tongues of fire and responded to the promptings of the Spirit within them, the Church grew. And because of the response countless Christians over the ages, with hearts burning within them, the fire of faith has been handed on from generation to generation, making it possible for us to gather today to hear this message of salvation, to celebrate the liturgy, to receive the Lord in the Eucharist.
And today, it rests on our shoulders to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, in the words of 2 Timothy, “to stir into flame the gift of God,” and to do our part to build up the kingdom of God. If we feel inadequate or not up to the task, Paul reminds us that we all have received the same Spirit the Apostles received. At our baptism, we received the same Holy Spirit who enflamed the hearts of those first Apostles with courage and zeal. At Confirmation, we received the fullness of those gifts to better equip us to fulfill the particular life of service we are called to.
On this day of Pentecost, let us ask the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with the fire of his love and transform us so that knowing, loving and serving God, we will joyfully radiate the Light of Christ to all through love, compassion and example on our journey towards heaven.
Knowing that the church is the heart of our community and so many hearts are hurting with the devastating fire at St. John’s, we want to offer some words of assurance and hope. First, we want to assure all St. John the Baptist parishioners that we are praying for you, we support you and we welcome you to all of our Christ Our Light churches. We know it may not feel like home, but we pray that with our welcome, it will become a home away from home. We also want to assure you that we are working quickly and diligently on many aspects of St. John Church. Here is an update of what is happening.
First On Site, the restoration company, has been securing the site for safety with fencing and security personnel as there are nails laying everywhere, debris and still a risk of things falling. They are also securing the site to protect what’s inside, especially the sacred items we hope to salvage and preserve. We are cooperating with fire investigators and insurance agents, so they can do their work and provide the best settlement for us going forward.
Once we have the okay, First Onsite will have crews in place to continue salvaging and preserving all that they can. There are a number of items that have already been retrieved. Most of the vestments have been saved. They have smoke damage and will need to be dry cleaned, but will be usable for years to come. The monstrance which holds the blessed sacrament for adoration, a free standing cross from the sacristy and many of the sacred vessels have already been cleaned and we hope to use for upcoming St. John Masses at Precious Blood. The Advent candle stand with purple and pink bows still attached needs to be cleaned but is in good shape. The cranes lifted out several of the large columns from inside church that were in danger of falling and others will be addressed soon. Locating and securing the tabernacle is a top priority, but it is buried in rubble and will take time to access and dig out. They will be retrieving the stations, art work and other liturgical furnishings that remain. Local vendors who have worked on the windows and organ over the years have already been contacted and we are making plans for how best to secure and salvage what remains and what can be used in the future. While we know many would like to help in the church, we need to let the salvage and restoration specialists do their work. They know what to look for, how best to get at it and preserve it. A few parishioners familiar with things in church and where they were located will be helping.
This will be a long and complicated process, but we are also confident that we have the right people in place to help us. The Archdiocese has been giving this project their full attention, personnel and resources to help us. They are helping us do things we could never do on our own. This past week, the Archbishop approved an Archdiocesan wide collection for St. John Church sometime this summer. It will be similar to collections taken up after devastating tornados, hurricanes or other disasters. They are also extending online giving options nationally as we’ve had numerous requests from people wanting to help. All these funds collected by the Archdiocesan Stewardship office will be coming back to St. John’s Church. Please note there has been at least one website trying to sell things on behalf of St. John’s that has not been approved by us. Any fundraising efforts approved by St. John’s will be listed on the Marion Catholic Community website.
As the fire mitigation and salvage efforts continue, structural engineers and other professionals will be assessing the integrity of the remaining walls and what St. John Church may look like in the future. Within 3 to 4 months, they hope to have several options for us to consider and then as a parish we will discern and decide the best path forward. As mentioned previously, this is a long process that could take several years, so we need to be patient, continue working with the professionals and Archdiocesan staff helping us and trusting in the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We are setting up a page on the Marion Catholic Community website that will have periodic updates to keep you informed.
While the fire has been devastating for St. John Church and our community, we also know the fire of the Holy Spirit is transforming and already working in our midst. May the Holy Spirit continue to lead and guide us in all that lies ahead.
- Fr. Ken Schnipke, C.PP.S., Christ Our Light Family of Parishes
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