After powerful gusts of wind swept through the region March 2 – 3,
some parishes in the Diocese of Arlington were left with damaged property,
others celebrated Mass by candlelight or canceled it altogether, and still
others took the opportunity to help people left without power.
As of March 6, 11 parishes had reported damage to roofs,
fences and other property from winds ranging from 50 to 70 miles per hour, according
to Mary Stewart, director of the diocesan Office of Risk Management.
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge gave parishioners a dispensation from the
Sunday Mass obligation under certain conditions. The dispensation applied to those who could not leave their homes, or those who could not attend
Mass because their church was closed and they were unable to attend Mass at
another church.
Father Thomas P. Ferguson, vicar general, sent an email to
priests March 3, asking them to use their best judgment regarding
decisions to cancel Masses, confessions and other parish activities. He urged
parishes to not allow people inside buildings where their safety
would be at risk.
At St. Philip Church in Falls Church, Mass and all activities
were canceled due to a downed power line and a tree blocking the driveway.
“This is the first time in my life we’ve never had a Mass at one
of my parishes,” said Father Denis M. Donahue, pastor. It was clear that it was
unsafe to let people in, he said, so parishioners quickly mobilized.
“We had volunteers, all from the Hispanic community, (who) manned
the driveway letting people know that Mass was canceled and directing them to
other parishes,” Father Donahue said. People who rely on the parish food pantry
for assistance had to be sent home as well.
A Men’s Day of Labor is scheduled for March 17, in addition to
other clean-up projects with dates to be determined. Father Donahue is asking
parishioners to contribute to the food pantry or donate to the poor box because
many poor and elderly parishioners may have difficulty replacing spoiled food.
In addition, the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist convent next
door to the church was damaged severely after a large oak tree crashed into the
side of it.
“It was a pretty scary event to be awakened at 3:30 in the morning
by the sound of the house rattling and broken glass,” said Sister Kathryn
Mullarkey. When the sisters went to see what happened, they were not able to open
the door because the tree had fallen on the overhang.
Sister Mullarkey and Father Donahue are concerned about the
possibility of structural damage.
“It could be more than just a hole in the wall or broken windows
because this thing broke on the wall of the convent,” he said.
The cost of repairs to the church is unknown, but St. Philip has already lost
an estimated $12,000 by not having a Sunday collection.
Other parishes that were not affected reached out to people left
without power in cold temperatures.
At St. John the Evangelist Church in Warrenton, Father James R.
Gould, the pastor, invited people who lost their power to come sleep in the
church, which had heat, power and running water. “Many in the community have
been out of power for four days now and still are out today,” Laura Matthys, a
parishioner, wrote in a March 5 email.
At other parishes, the storm only caused a temporary loss of
power. St. John Neumann Church in Reston celebrated the March 3 Vigil Mass by
the light of the altar candles and a few battery-powered lanterns.
“It was making do with what we had,” said Patty Kwapniewski,
administrative assistant.
