Lightning struck a storied 135-year-old church Thursday evening on Grand Boulevard, sparking a fire that caused major damage to the midtown monument.
The five-alarm blaze gutted St. Alphonsus "Rock" Catholic Church, dedicated in 1872 and widely known for its trademark limestone exterior walls.
But today, the soon-to-depart pastor was doing his best to look at the bright side. RELATED LINK
SLIDE SHOW: Fire guts "Rock" Church
"The archdiocese is helping us out," said the pastor, the Rev. John Phelps. "Everybody's pulling together. It's a great opportunity. It's a gift from God." Advertisement
Asked how soon the church might be repaired, Phelps said, "I've met with some people, and I'll tell you what I'm going to tell the congregation: 'We're going to board up the church. It'll be closed for a while. If we're back in it in a year, let's be grateful.'"
Andrew Atherton, an elder at the church, said losing the Rock would be "devastating."
"It's just like any other church — it's part of you," Atherton said. "Without that, you're lost."
St. Louis Fire Chief Sherman George said he believed the fire started with a lightning strike. He said the blaze was under control by 9 p.m., about two hours after firefighters arrived. He said that while the walls stayed intact, fire had engulfed the inside.
No one was injured in the blaze, which prompted authorities to close a section of Grand for several hours.
George said firefighters tried to battle the blaze from inside but were turned back by heavy smoke and had to rely mostly on aerial trucks. Flames could be seen shooting out of the roof at times.
The building is a Gothic structure, with a towering steeple and flanking spires. The church features an array of stained glass, which was largely spared by the fire.
A former Rock pastor, the Rev. Rick Potts, said he was the last person to leave the church as the fire broke out. He said a lightning strike about 6:30 p.m. set off a loud boom and computers being used inside went out.
Potts said choir members leaving the church after practice about 7 p.m. were the first to notice smoke.
Neighbors said the blaze started on the east side, or back, of the church, high above the altar.
Hundreds of people came to the scene to watch the fire and the battle to contain it.
Archbishop Raymond Burke stood with others about two blocks from the church.
He called the fire a "great tragedy" and said that church officials are hoping it can be repaired.
"It's historic and also very active," Burke said of the Rock. "Truly, in this neighborhood, it's a great symbol of the faith."
The church's new pastor, Matthew Bonk, arrived in town Wednesday from Chicago and is set to begin his new job Sept. 1.
He was near the church when the lightning apparently struck, sending a power surge through his esidence.
Bonk said that services would still be held Sunday.
Masses will be celebrated at the usual times of 8:15 and 11 a.m. in the gymnasium next door to the church, Phelps said this morning. The Saturday evening Mass will also be celebrated in the gym, at 5 p.m., he said.
Daily Masses will be celebrated in the undamaged chapel next door to the church, he said. The times: 5:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 7 and 10:30 a.m. on Tuesdays, 9 a.m. on Thursdays and 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays.
On Thursday, Bonk said, "I'll mourn for the church when I go in and look at the damage. But thank God everyone is OK."
Bonk guaranteed that the church, a key part of the revival around the city's Grand Center arts district, would rise again.
"Just as the area around us is being rebuilt, so will we," Bonk said.
The church was founded by the Redemptorists order of priests, who continue to run it today, and became part of the St. Louis Archdiocese in 1881. It has been the city's most prominent African-American Catholic church for decades, with parishioners coming from all over the region for Sunday worship.
Yvonne Ward, a longtime member of the Rock, was in tears at the scene. "It's my church. It's my church," Ward sobbed. "This is my church. It's a staple, everybody knows The Rock. This is the most spirit-filled, loving church family that there is."
The fight to save the church involved 140 firefighters and 45 pieces of equipment from the city and Clayton. St. Louis County firefighters manned city stations during the blaze