Three windows at St. Florian, Ino, were broken in a July storm. (Submitted photo)
The storm that came through July 8-9 damaged St. Florian Catholic Church, Ino, a parish in the Ashland cluster.
The winds blew down a tall pine tree that split partway down, and it landed on the power line and took it right to the ground, pulling some of the wires out of the church building.
There were many branches covering the lawn and many hours of clean-up, said parishioner Glory Bizub. The power company has work to do also in reconnecting the church.
One of the big windows broke with the branches blowing around, and a couple of the basement windows were also broken.
“The main panic (for me) was we were having Mass that weekend,” said Bizub. “We haven’t had Mass since the end of March. I wanted to have Mass.
“Even though we didn’t have any power, Fr. Jerome (D’Souza) agreed to say Mass,” she added. “We had a very cozy Mass, with just candles lit on the altar. The time was 11 a.m.; there was plenty of daylight. We had sunlight from God.”
There is much to be repaired at St Florian, she commented. “Saying prayers that we can sustain as a functioning parish.”
