(OSV News) — The morning after a massive fire destroyed St. John the Baptist Church in Maria Stein May 29, “the embers have now burned out” but not the “embers of faith” that have marked the historic Ohio church “since the first Mass in 1836,” Precious Blood Father Ken Schnipke said.
He made the remarks in a homily at a morning Mass May 30 at Most Precious Blood Catholic Church in nearby Chicksaw, Ohio. With St. John, the church and three others form the Marion Catholic Community in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The community is part of Christ Our Light Family of Parishes.
The principal celebrant of the Mass was Archbishop Robert G. Casey of Cincinnati, who was there to be present to a community mourning the loss of their beloved church.
Roof and Steeple Collapsed
The blaze caused St. John’s roof and steeple to collapse. No one was reported to be inside the church at the time, and no injuries were reported, local authorities said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
“If you have not seen the church, the roof is completely gone with the remaining debris laying inside,” Father Schnipke, Christ Our Light’s pastor, told Massgoers. “I must admit my heart sank as I drove up to St. John yesterday afternoon and as the spire fell to the ground.”
The priest said he arrived at about 2:45 p.m. to see “the church roof almost fully engulfed in flames and smoke. … A little after 7 p.m. the spire tilted toward the south and came down in front of the church.”
“But,” he added, “I have also been seeing many signs of hope with all who have come to our (aid), learning what may be salvaged from the church and the beginning of steps to rebuild,” he said.
Nearly 20 Fire Departments at Scene
Dayton’s NBC affiliate, WDTN-TV Channel 2 News, reported May 29 that firefighters from nearly 20 departments battled the fire that engulfed the late 19th-century Romanesque Revival-style church, dedicated in 1891.
Fire Chief Joe Hartings, of the Chickasaw Volunteer Fire Department, told Channel 2 that dispatchers received a call at 2:36 p.m. about a possible structure fire, and firefighters arrived at the church to find “fire running across the whole top of the church and off the roof.”
According to Hartings, shingles were being replaced on the church’s roof when a worker noticed white smoke and heat from the top of the building.
In his homily, Father Schnipke expressed gratitude to Archbishop Casey.
Archbishop’s Call of Support
“One of the first calls I received was from Archbishop Casey assuring us of his prayers and support and his (call) was followed by many others from the archdiocese, including risk management, property management, finance, liturgy and media relations, all helping us deal with the fire .. and all the follow-up to come,” the priest said.
He was thankful for a team from the archdiocese also “here with us at Mass, who along with the fire department, insurance agents, structural engineers and restoration specialists will be meeting this morning to better assess the damage, what may be salvaged and where we go from here.”
When he was alerted to the devastating fire, Archbishop Casey issued a statement May 29, assuring the faithful he was holding them in prayer and was united with them. “While the fire appears to have caused great damage, I am confident that the faith of this community remains strong,” he said.
“‘You will weep and mourn’ — how profoundly those words resonate this day,” Father Schnipke said in his homily, quoting the day’s Gospel reading, St. John 16:20-23.
‘You Will Weep and Mourn’
He continued, “As Jesus’ passion and death drew near, he told his disciples, ‘You will weep and mourn as the world rejoices.’ It must have been difficult for the disciples to understand what Jesus meant. They were expecting a Messiah who would make things better, restore Israel. They did not expect to suffer more.”
“We may also expect our lives to be easier because we follow Christ. Jesus’ words, however, are also meant for us: ‘You will weep and mourn,'” Father Schnipke said, because like the earliest disciples, we … will also experience the struggles, trials and tribulations that come in this world.”
But Easter joy, he reminded the congregation, “boldly proclaims that even from death and destruction, new life comes forth — for the world and the world to come. This, my friends, is the truth we believe and behold in all that happens in life and death. … Just as the cross was not the end for Jesus, so too can our suffering be redemptive, the beginning of all things new.”
“Yes, you will weep and mourn but your grief will become joy,” Father Schnipke said.
Long, Difficult Process Ahead
He acknowledged what comes next “will be a long and difficult process, but I am also convinced that nothing is impossible with God, and we have the right people in place to help us.” A schedule for St. John’s Masses to be celebrated in other churches was already in place, he noted.
“While the church is certainly the center of our community, we also know that life continues,” he said.
In a May 29 Facebook post, the Chickasaw Volunteer Fire Department said: “We tried our best but just couldn’t save this beautiful church. We would like to thank every department that provided assistance to this destructive fire, your help was greatly appreciated. We would also like to thank everyone that supplied drinking water and food for all the fire fighters, we live in a great community and it really showed today, thanks everyone.”
Julie Asher is OSV News senior editor.
