The motto of Pope St. Pius X was Instaurare omnia in Christo — to restore all things in Christ,” and parishioners at St. Pius X parish in Chili are living up to the motto of their patron.
Late on the evening of January 1, 2015, fire broke out in the narthex area of the church and though the response of local volunteer firefighters was immediate, the fire intensified very quickly, destroying the entire sanctuary.
“It was not so much the fire, but the heat and smoke damage,” explains Brian Porter, who chairs a committee of parishioners working to plan the rebuilding of a new church.
Temperatures during the blaze reached near 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. The roof inside caught fire, pews were charred and burned, adhesive on laminated beams melted and dripped out, he describes.
“The firemen got there quickly, but the fire spread quickly,” Porter notes. Additionally, there appeared to be an explosion in the narthex (entrance) area which intensified the blaze.
The cause of the fire will probably never be known, he adds. Investigators believe it was likely electrical in nature.
Since that cold and snowy New Year’s night, Mass has been held in the school gym – which ironically formerly served as the parish church. In fact, the morning after the blaze, Mass was held in the gym at 8 a.m.
“Many people had no idea what had happened,” says Tom Bowers, a member of the rebuild committee who is in charge of communications. “I commend the Gates- Chili Fire Department. They were here instantaneously and saved what could be saved. It was January 1 and there was 100 percent turnout. They did a remarkable job.”
The parish has spent the last seven months assessing the damage, cleaning the Parish Center (an addition to the sanctuary which was saved from being destroyed in the fire), settling insurance claims, and obtaining demolition permits.
Demolition work began at the end of July and Porter and Bowers say the parish will now work to transform the Parish Center into a sanctuary to see the parish through until a new church building rises on the spot.
The devastation and loss which resulted from the blaze has done nothing to damper the spirit of parishioners. St. Pius X includes 1,980 families (4,300 individuals) and Porter observes that the fire actually marks a new beginning for the parish.
“I have been energized by the process,” he says, regarding the work of the rebuild committee. “It’s like a forest burning down. You can look at it negatively, but then you see the new, plush green growth. I’ve seen the parish come together quickly and it is now more strong than I’ve seen it before.
“There was never any question the diocese would not rebuild,” Porter says. “This parish is strong and vibrant, I’m as optimistic as I can be about anything.”
Tom Bowers ties the rebuild effort to the restoration motto of St. Pius X, saying that in addition to a restoration of the physical building, there is a restoration of spirit, allowing parishioners to appreciate, “…how blessed we all are.”
He notes that individuals who built the original church with their own hands and who are now elderly, are passing on the torch to the current generation. “Now is our turn,” he says of the construction of a new church.
“It’s just a building,” he adds, regarding the sanctuary that was lost, “we are still a parish.”
