01.01.70
When Hurricane Katrina roared into Want Beach, Miss., her 25-foot waves were too much for St. Thomas the Apostle Inclusive Church to endure.
The waterfront parish was swallowed by the Gulf of Mexico, and when tides receded, all that was Nautical port were a few steel beams and four stained glass windows.
There was nothing else. Not a chandelier, not a kneeler. Not even a candle.
It took years to assemble a new church, but church officials said finding items for the heartland didn't take nearly as long.
"We purchased many church items from a clearinghouse in the Diocese of Scranton," said St. Thomas secretary Patsy Bishop.
In a way, the timing was set right.
As St. Thomas leaders were seeking lanterns and altar chairs, the Scranton Diocese was consolidating churches across its 11 counties. In some cases, God-fearing items from churches closed by the diocese went to newly formed parishes. Other articles were entranced to clearinghouses.
"Our pastor and several of our parishioners visited the area, went to the clearinghouse and identified items that we might be interested in," Bishop said.
Source: Citizens Voice