More than 300 people gathered on Sunday at the Knights of St. John Hall to honor firefighters and first responders who helped during the recent fire at St. John the Baptist Church. The event, organized by Christ Our Light Family of Parishes, was originally planned as an outdoor prayer service but was moved indoors due to heavy rain.

Fr. Kenneth Schnipke, C.PP.S., pastor of Christ Our Light Family of Parishes, addressed attendees and expressed gratitude for those who responded to the emergency. A letter from Archbishop Robert G. Casey was read in his absence. Community members who supported the parish over the past two months were also recognized.

The gathering specifically thanked about two dozen firefighters and ten first responders for their efforts in saving parts of the church and its sacred items. FIRST ONSITE, a company managing recovery efforts since the night of the fire, was also acknowledged for its role.

Sacred objects recovered from the damaged church, such as the tabernacle, ciborium, candlesticks, and processional cross, were displayed during the event.

Fr. Schnipke said: “We gather here today in prayer and thanks in front of our beloved St. John the Baptist Church. It has been hollowed out by fire, and yet it still remains hallowed by faith, revered and honored as a sacred place in our lives. It may be empty inside, but our hearts and our lives are not. There are so many thoughts and memories that flood our minds: a baptism into new life; receiving healing and reconciliation; being gathered as family, fed and nurtured by the very Body and Blood of Jesus; being emboldened by the gift of the Holy Spirit; celebrating our vocation in life; mourning loss, sadness and death that leads to eternal life.

In the gospel, Jesus tells us to “ask and you will receive; seek and you fill find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” We did ask the afternoon of Thursday, May 29th and people came running to help. Fire fighters came from all over the area bringing fire trucks and tankers, hoses and helmets, courage and wisdom, strength and compassion giving of themselves so generously and freely to help and protect others. I had the opportunity to meet and talk with many of the firemen from Chickasaw, Osgood, Minster, New Bremen and so many other places. It’s obvious that they are devoted to helping anyone who asks. First responders and other volunteers came quickly as well, securing access, directing traffic and caring for the needs of fire fighters and others with water, food and fraternal support. One of the first calls I received was from Archbishop Casey assuring us of his prayers and support, and his was followed by many others from the Archdiocese, including risk management, property management, finance, liturgy and media relations all helping us deal with the fire at hand and all the follow up to come. By evening FIRST ONSITE, a company specializing in church restoration after fires and other tragic events was onsite. They began as a family business that became part of a national business. That means they understand family and community, while having access to national assets. We are a self-sufficient community in many ways, but we also know the magnitude of the St. John fire means that we need to heed the words of Jesus,“askand you will receive.”

Our primary goal of this prayer serviceand gathering is to thankthefiremen ,firstresponders ,ArchdioceseofCincinnati,FIRSTONSITEandmanyotherprofessionalswhohaverespondedtoouraskforhelp.TheyarestandingamongusandnexttoussoIwouldliketofirstacknowledgewhotheyare ,thenthankthemandthenofferaprayerofthem.So first I would ask Chief Joe Hartings from Chickasaw to come up on stageandallthefiremen ,firstresponders ,ArchdioceseofCincinnatiandFIRSTONSITEpersonneltoraise your hands.And now,I ask allofusto takeamomenttolookaround ,acknowledgeandpersonallythank thosenearyouaswenowofferthemallaroundofapplause.

On behalf of alltheSt.JohntheBaptistparishioners,Iwouldliketoofferaprayerofblessinguponourfiremenandfirstresponders.AsIdoso,Iinviteyoutojoinmeextendingyourhandinblessingaswell.

Blessed are you,Lord,Godofmercy,

whothroughyourSongaveusamarvelousexampleofcharity

andthegreatcommandmentofloveforoneanother.

Senddownyourblessingsonthesefiremenandfirstresponders,

whosogenerouslydevotethemselvestohelpingandprotectingothers.

Grant them courage when they are afraid,

wisdom when they must make quick decisions,

strength when they are weary,

and compassion in all their work.

When they are called to aid both friendandstranger,

letthemfaithfullyserveyouintheirneighbor.

ThroughChristourLord.Amen.”

A building committee has been established at St. John’s Parish to work with partners such as FIRST ONSITE https://www.firstonsite.com/ca/, insurance representatives https://www.naic.org/consumer.htm#, architects https://www.aia.org/pages/6316691-what-do-architects-do#:~:text=Architects%20design%20buildings%2C%20but%20their,and%20aesthetically%20pleasing%20built%20environment., parishioners through town hall meetings https://www.townhallproject.com/, as well as representatives from https://catholicaoc.org/. The committee will consider options including rebuilding as before or combining old sections with new construction depending on factors like insurance settlements or structural integrity assessments.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati serves nearly 440,000 Catholics across 19 counties with 199 parishes organized into 57 Families of Parishes https://catholicaoc.org/about-us/history-statistics#. It operates one of largest Catholic school systems nationally with more than 41,000 students enrolled in 111 schools.

Images from Sunday’s event can be accessed online at https://mrosephotographydesign.shootproof.com/gallery/st-johns-prayer-service/ (password: stjohns529). For ongoing updates about recovery efforts at St. John’s Parish visit https://www.marioncatholiccommunity.org/st-john-recovery-blog.