Dear People of St. Matthew's:
When the Vestry and School Board met Wednesday night I was so relieved and thrilled to learn that our precious chalices and patens were protected by the fire safe. The vestry had decided several months ago to purchase that safe to house the vessels. Martha Lynn Lewis led that effort, and I am so glad she did! The chalices are in perfect condition, although they'll need to be cleaned as there's a strong odor of smoke. For now, they are in safe keeping in a vault at South Louisiana Bank.
....
See you in Church,
Fr. Craig (Dalferes)
Like a solitary flower in bloom on a battlefield, the mural of Jesus Christ, flanked by animals and smiling children, stands untouched amidst the charred remains of St. Matthews Episcopal Church.
The Nov. 11 blaze destroyed the sanctuary and damaged part of the church school.
At the eastern wall of the structure, the vivid colors of Houma artist Hans Geist’s 2009 mural stand in cheery contrast to the soot-stained rubble at Barrow and Belanger streets. Its colors are fresh as they were the day life was breathed into it.
The mural, painted in 2009 by Geist with the help of children from the school, depicts Jesus with children and animals, below words from Matthew 19:14, “Let the little children come to me.” There has been no official determination made on whether the wall can be saved, although presumptions at St. Matthew’s are that it will have to go due to stability and safety issues.
Photo by Kim Smith/Correspondent/Daily CometAlmighty God, we give thanks for the gift to the parishioners of St. Matthew's of many years of fellowship and worship in their beautiful church building. We ask you to give your people comfort, consolation, and the peace that passes understanding as they grieve the loss of their building. May the people of St. Matthew's remain bound together in love and obedience to you, ever mindful that a church is the gathering of its people to give you praise, honor, and glory. Give them strength and courage to continue in worship and fellowship, as they move forward to rebuild their building. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
A relief fund has been established at South Louisiana Bank. Donations may be mailed to:
St. Matthew's Relief Fund
c/o S. Louisiana Bank
PO Box 1718
Houma, LA 70361
Please include the account number
in the memo section of the check: 02-0195-2.
Almighty God, we give thanks for the gift to the parishioners of St. Matthew's of many years of fellowship and worship in their beautiful church building. We ask you to give your people comfort, consolation, and the peace that passes understanding as they grieve the loss of their building. May the people of St. Matthew's remain bound together in love and obedience to you, ever mindful that a church is the gathering of its people to give you praise, honor, and glory. Give them strength and courage to continue in worship and fellowship, as they move forward to rebuild their building. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Almighty God, we give thanks for the gift to the parishioners of St. Matthew's of many years of fellowship and worship in their beautiful church building. We ask you to give your people comfort, consolation, and the peace that passes understanding as they grieve the loss of their building. May the people of St. Matthew's remain bound together in love and obedience to you, ever mindful that a church is the gathering of its people to give you praise, honor, and glory. Give them strength and courage to continue in worship and fellowship, as they move forward to rebuild their building. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
The Houma Fire Department officials are investigating an early-morning blaze that destroyed St. Matthew's Episcopal Church at the intersection of Barrow and Belanger Streets.Pray for the rector and congregation of St. Matthew's and for the students and teachers at St. Matthew's school.
The fire was reported around 3:41 a.m. Thursday.
Officials say the church was completely engulfed in flames. Portions of the school and surrounding trees are reported to have been destroyed as well. Witnesses reported seeing flames up to 100 feet in the air.
St. Matthew's Church is on The National Register of Historic Places.
The full extent of the damage remains unclear, but damage was sustained at the church and the lower building of the school. Houma Fire Department District Chief Chris LeCompte said nobody was in the church or the school at the time.
Members of the tight-knight congregation learned of the overnight fire by way of a flurry of phone calls made as the community awakened and encountered firefighters and flashing lights still surrounding the smoke-filled intersection.
Some parishioners, teachers and school workers gathered nearby to watch firefighters work.
Beulah Rodrigue, a church member for 70 years, said she was among a group of ladies who spent the past 11 years on needlepoint work that decorated the sanctuary's prayer kneelers.
Rodrigue peered down Barrow Street this morning, toward the spot where the church's steeple once poked through the trees.
“You can't see the church from here any more,” she said. “To me, (the church) was the star of Houma.”
But church officials said they will rebuild the historic church.
“The church will be rebuilt. We're not sure what it will look like, but the outpouring of support we've gotten from the community has been very encouraging and affirmative,” said the Reverend Craig Dalferes, pastor of St. Matthew's.
He added that much remains uncertain in the immediate aftermath of the fire. Church administration will meet tonight to decide where the congregation will meet on Sunday. Dalferes said a number of community churches have called to offer St. Matthew's aid.
