| OCR Text |
Show 2 June 21, four days before St. John Baptist Day, tragedy occurred at St. Christopher's Mission. At almost the exact conclusion of 21 year's work, the Mission Church burned to the ground. At 2:30 p .m. on Sunday, June 21st, fire was reported already out of control. Not a single item was saved. Father Liebler, Helen and Joan were on the way to the Aneth area for the regular outstation Mass. Father Wayne and his family had left the afternoon before, and on Sunday, had held the Mission's first regular Mass at Kayenta, Arizona-then were heading toward avajo Mountain for the regular monthly visitation and "hogan services"; they could not be reached until Monday morning. Quickly townspeople and authorities converged on the scene and worked most valiantly to keep the fire from spreading to other buildings. In the space of the afternoon four other fires were set in different parts of the main Mission House but were quickly controlled. $100 in money disappeared. It was truly a nightmare! But as with John the Baptist, this "voice in the desert" could not be stilled and next day Morning Prayer and the Holy Eucharist were the first acts of the Community. The school is now being used as a church. Tuesday began the gruesome task of investigation and recovery. Finally, Wednesday afternoon, a disturbed volunteer worker confessed to the setting of all the fires; he had hopes of better facilities to the Mission. As it was . . . . 3 Before . . . Our stripped and blackened cottonwoods bear silent guard over the charred, disordered remains. The altar stands cracked and disarranged. Our Lady of the Navajo has lost her hands, her shiny ceramic finish, and has dropped the Holy Child on the Cradleboard to the ground. No log is left standing. The chimney was toppled to avert obvious danger. Who has known the aftermath of a fire? We have had much experience this year. . . . . a little red wagon overturned beside the twisted wreckage of Tom and Lena's trailer .... chickens, ducks and goats not finding the familiar doorway where they were fed . . . . a staff member slowly turning in her hands the charred remnant of a wooden cow that stood under the pinon boughs in the Christmas scene which burned before our altar . . . . a mother sobbing while watching as her aluminum trailer melted to the ground in Bluff . . . . And now we pass and gaze at that place while remembering. A community cannot worship daily at this same altar, obtain strength to go out from this place and meet the many crises of each hour, without knOWing this place as strength, vigor, solace, love, holiness - and the place where Our Lord truly is, in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Miraculously, the chalice and paten given to Father Liebler at his ordination almost 50 years ago were recovered. If money can be found they 4 will be restored in order that he may use them at his Anniversary Celebration in October. These were the only articles salvagable. The investigators reported that temperatures reaching nearly 2000 degrees accounted for the mere blobs of glass and bits of molten gold, silver, brass and iron. Our steel tabernacle was bent and wrenched from its place, the ciborium an unrecognizable mass and the Sacrament was consumed. We now must cancel our remaining Vacation Bible Schools which were so successful this year. This would have been our fourth week in remote areas. Our first five-day class was attended by 360 and on Friday of that week, 15 made their confessions and 20 were baptized. At the Mass, Navajo bread was presented at the offertory to be used for the consecration. Now we must retreat and regroup our forces. What to do? We cannot say at this time-no plans can be made as yet. We know we must rebuild just as soon as pOSSible. Money is needed at once. To all of our friends, indiVidually and in your parishes, guilds, church schools and clubs, we ask your help. The central point of all our work has been destroyed and must be replaced. Please aid us-we are sure that you will. Needed are vestments for altar and priests, candles, cruts, folding chairs, a lectern and ciborium and most any item ordinarily used in church. Now . . .. |
