When we moved here, the iron fence was all boarded up with plywood and you couldn't see the plaza or the church front and the spire was surrounded by scaffolding. We didn't think too much about it, but it certainly was ugly all surrounded in plywood and such. Now it's beautiful!
On Christmas morning in 2009, St. Mel's burned almost to the ground. People had gone to mass on Christmas Eve, and on Christmas morning, the church was no more. The damage affected more than just the church. It really gutted the heart of the town. It took 5 years to restore it, and to open up the plaza and sort of center the town again.
They worked on it for years. The fire was national news, as was the restoration. When they first rang the bells again in October 2014, I saw people with tears in their eyes just happy to finally hear the bells again. It truly was amazing how it touched the people of the town, whether religious or not. It was more than a church, it was a beautiful town center and a reassuring ringing of the bells that had been missing for 5 years.
The restoration work was fabulous. Steve and I went to the open house (and didn't get hit by lightening I might add!) and the church is truly gorgeous. RTE (the Irish network) did a whole documentary about it and the first mass was on Christmas Eve 2014. It was televised and they had big screens up so people who couldn't get into the church could still see the mass outside. It really was amazing.
And even for those who claim no lord,
A spiritual center was restored!
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