"The Church is on Fire!!" - May 5. 2010

Dear Friends,

As many of you have heard, there was a fire in the church at St. Bede yesterday. The fire started in the Holy Family shrine and did considerable damage to the church and the sacristy. We are currently working the Montgomery Fire Department and our insurance adjustor to determine the extent of the damage. Once we have a better idea of how extensive the damage is, we will begin to make plans to repair the damage. I will keep you informed of any new information as it becomes available.

I told reporters yesterday that all we lost was a building and that the church was not a building, but rather the people. Over the last eighteen years since I first moved to Montgomery, I have grown to respect and love the families that call St. Bede home. While this fire is tragic and will cause us some inconvenience, I believe that this is an opportunity for us to draw together as a parish and truly be a welcoming community of faith in action.

As I mentioned on television and in the paper, there will be absolutely no interruption in any parish services. The office is open and all groups and activities are proceeding more or less as usual.* Until the church is repaired, all of our weekday Masses will be in the parish hall and the Vigil Mass and the Sunday Masses will be in the school cafeteria. (St. Bede started in the cafeteria over 50 years ago, so this will be like a trip down memory lane!)

I want to thank Fire Chief Milford Jordan and the Montgomery Fire Depart. They responded to our 911 call in four minutes and displayed the kind of dedication and professionalism that deserves to be commended. They quickly assessed the situation and determined that our children were not at risk and they spared no effort to ensure that fire was out and that everyone was safe. One fireman suffered a broken ankle and is scheduled for surgery today. Please keep him and his family in your prayers as he begins his recovery.

I want to single out Assistant Chief Kelly Gordon for special thank. As the MFD was battling the fire, I asked the Chief if one of his men could possible retrieve the Blessed Sacrament from the Tabernacle. Without hesitation, Chief Gordon said, “I’ll do it.” As he ran to gear up, I ran to get a key to the Tabernacle. Key in hand, he entered the burning building to rescue of Lord from the flames. (Chief Gordon’s daughter is in Kindergarten here at MCPS.)

Anne Ceasar, MCPS president, had been on campus for a meeting earlier in the day. As soon as she heard about the fire she returned to assess the situation from the schools perspective. Once she determined that the children were safe she communicated that to parents via our IRIS system. She then modified the afternoon pick-up in order to protect our children’s safety. Anne did a marvelous job in assuring the safety of our students. She should be commended. I also want to thank Susan Duke, principal of MCPS grade school, she worked wonderfully with Anne, the parish and the MFD to guarantee the safety of our students and to reassure parents that their kids were safe.

I also want thank the parishioners who stopped by yester to lend a hand, offer support, or simply be present. Everyone asked, “What can I do?” Yesterday my main answer was pray and thank God that no one was seriously injured. I assure you, there will be plenty of opportunities to pitch in and help over the next several months. I encourage of you to get involved in this rebuilding effort, because in truth we are not repairing a building, but building up a family in the name of the Lord.