By Irene M. Lagan
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 9/25/03)

In the wake of Hurricane Isabel, diocesan parishes and schools contacting the Office of Risk Management reported damage costs that will total approximately $42,000.

"Given the extent of the storm and the potential property exposure, we came out of this relatively unscathed," said Randy Joubin, diocesan risk manager.

In addition to power outages and altered school schedules, several parishes suffered some damage due to wind and fallen trees. Bishop Paul S. Loverde's residence in Arlington was without power from Thursday through Monday.

Most parishes kept regular weekend Mass schedules, though some held services by candlelight. However, St. Michael Parish in Annandale was forced to cancel its 50th anniversary concert scheduled for Friday night and a jubilee Mass on Saturday morning.

The worst damage occurred at St. James Parish in Falls Church, where a large Norwegian spruce crashed down on Plant Manager Bill McCarthy’s home.

"It’s funny that the Lord would choose me," McCarthy said. "I spent a year working on His house and He seems to be testing me by dropping a tree on mine."

When the tree fell, McCarthy said he was out checking conditions around the rest of the plant. When Father Frederick H. Edlefsen asked him if he’d heard a thundering crash, McCarthy retraced his steps, only to return home and find that his own house had been hit.

"The tree peeled the gable window off the house and my eldest son has about a five-inch limb protruding through his bedroom wall," McCarthy said. "No one was hurt, though it scared my middle son who had just come out of the shower."

Because of the precarious position of the tree, McCarthy said the 20-inch, three-ton trunk will have to be lifted off with a crane.

"The funny thing is that my wife never liked that tree and wished it would get blown over in the storm. And I have always wanted to build a front porch. So we are looking on the positive side," McCarthy added.

Apart from the inconvenience of having to live in close quarters in another part of the house, McCarthy said they have been able remain at home and do have electricity.

"The city came close to asking us to leave. That side of the house is off limits. I am amazed the roof structure is holding up that amount of weight," McCarthy said.

At All Saints Parish in Manassas, the parish schedule was similarly unaffected despite a wind-damaged roof on the parish offices and a number of large trees that fell.

John McCloskey, a facilities technician at the parish, said that a local roofing company arrived to do an emergency repair right away, and a neighboring family cleaned up debris from the parish grounds.

Although many families in the area were without electricity, McCloskey said the parish functioned as usual.

Father John P. Mosimann, parochial vicar, said the parish was trying to be sensitive to the needs of those affected by the storm. As of Sept. 22, many parishioners were still without electricity. Although the rectory lost power during the storm on Thursday, an emergency crew arrived on the scene almost immediately. "It was almost miraculous," said Father Mosimann. "We did not expect it and we were very grateful."

At St. Elizabeth Parish in Colonial Beach, parish Secretary Madeline Rose returned early from a vacation in Duck, N.C., on account of Isabel.

"I guess two days was enough, according to the Lord," Rose said. Still without power as the week began, Rose said they could only answer phones and do some paper work. As she looked out the window, she described Isabel’s legacy. A very large tree, she said, was laying on electrical wires across the fence behind the church.

"I can’t tell if it’s actually resting on the church hall or just over it," she said. "And the wind caused some other damage — tiles on the roof are torn off and one of the glass panels on the door to parish office was blown out." Rose said the usual parish schedule of Masses was not interrupted, but services over the weekend were held in the dark.

Diocesan schools were closed on Thursday and Friday, and many delayed opening for two hours on Monday. According to Tim McNiff, diocesan superintendent of schools, none of the Arlington Catholic schools suffered significant damage, although St. Ambrose in Annandale and Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax remained closed Monday due to power outages. McNiff said that the two days off last week will be factored into the school calendar, which automatically plans for three "inclement weather/emergency" days.

"As of now we have already used two. If we exceed the three, days will have to added to the end of the school year," McNiff said.

According to Joubin, PVI suffered some damage when a surge protector blew after when the power was turned back on. The extent of the damage remains unclear.

Last Thursday, President Bush ordered a release of federal disaster funds and emergency resources for storm-battered residents of Virginia. In addition to emergency aid, the federal funds are available for the long-term recovery of residents and business owners.

Catholic Charities USA also announced Saturday that it is collecting donations to help fund emergency and long-term disaster recovery efforts.

"Isabel may be long gone, but she has left a wide path of destruction in her wake," said Deacon Gerald Collins, director of disaster response for Catholic Charities USA. "Local Catholic Charities agencies are working hard to assess the situation and what their communities need to recover from the disaster. But it will take days, even weeks, to fully understand the toll Isabel has taken."