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Newspaper Columns >
Early Morning Blaze Destroys Cecil Church Building
by Carol Breidenbach
Catholic Chronicle
25 July 2003
Members of Cecil Immaculate Conception Parish stood in small groups comforting each other as they surveyed the ruins of their church. Crane Township-Cecil fire Chief Bob Heber said an early morning fire July 21 is believed to be caused by lightning.
A neighbor heard a loud lightning strike around 3:30 a.m. When he looked out at 4 a.m., the church steeple was engulfed in flames.
Gene Sheets, a eucharistic minister at the church and one of the fire fighters, said he knew where the key to the tabernacle was. He entered the burning building along with his son, also a firefighter and eucharistic minister, and another Paulding firefighter. They rescued the Blessed Sacrament from the tabernacle. Also saved were the lectionary, sacramentary, a pew and a plaque commemorating the parish.s 100th anniversary.
The mission of Cecil was organized in 1875. In 1879 a small frame church was erected at a cost of $600. The church was added onto and rebuilt in 1888 when the parish outgrew its small church. In 1917 its first resident pastor, Father Peter A. Peiffer, erected a parsonage for $8,000. A reconstruction of the church began in 1923. The church recently got a new roof, furnace and air conditioning. There are 129 members.the fourth smallest parish in the diocese.
Cecil is a sister parish of Antwerp St. Mary and Junction St. Mary. Father Herman Scherger, pastor, has spent 15 of his 33 years as a pastor in the parish.
He said unless anyone has been a member of a very small parish it is hard to understand how they function. .Everyone knows everybody and each does a job. Grass is cut by volunteers on a rotating basis as well as the church cleaning.
"The only thing that helps lighten the loss is the fact that it appears to be lightning, an act of God. Vandalism or carelessness by an individual would be harder to accept. God has a plan." He added, "We will follow God.s will. It is too soon to know what will happen in terms of rebuilding."
"Sunday, July 27, parishioners will celebrate Mass at the usual 7:30 a.m., but now at Antwerp," Fr. Scherger said. Their choir will sing and their liturgical ministers will take part. They will meet in the parish hall for coffee and doughnuts afterwards. This will be a time to share their stories, mourn and plan for the future.
Bob Nighswander, deacon and administrator of the Antwerp parish, said he felt it was very important for them to have this time to come together as a community.
Rainell Koenn, church secretary, said her 9-year-old son just began serving Mass in October and was concerned whether he could serve at another church. She assured him he could. Her children have always attended Immaculate Conception and she has stressed church is what you make it and they can find their place in another church.
Mary Lou Gibson, the liturgical coordinator, said that she never dreamed July 21 would be the last day they would celebrate Mass together in their church. She has been the choir director for 50 years. It was especially hard for her to see the choir loft come down, she said.
Frances Minck is the oldest living member of the parish at 99. He said that he was born and raised in this parish and expected to be buried there. "The sacrifices of the people have built and maintained this church."
A lifelong member of the parish, he sat in the same pew all of his life. His parents started sitting there in 1893 and he joined them when he was born in 1904. He hopes the bishop will let them rebuild a church in Cecil. He wishes it was "his" pew they saved.
Madonna Koenn became a member of the parish almost 50 years ago when she married Ted Koenn. They would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in the church Aug. 29. She said she is so sad. "In such a small parish everybody is like family." She said they probably knew each other well enough to file income taxes.
Many parishioners were heartened that neighboring parishes have been inviting them to Mass. Some of the firemen battling the blaze were the first to issue invitations. All agreed "the building is not the church. Jesus lives in each of our hearts and in the community of the people." Although they are sad, parishioners look to the future with faith and hope.
A dedicated group of congregants, weekend Mass attendance generally finds 72 percent in attendance.
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