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"A Family Tradition for 132 Years" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, June 2, 1998 - 5 Passersby alerted priest, Ire dept. of church blaze From page 1 they were blowing up and onto the roof of the house next door." In the house parish priest Father Charlie Faleiro, pastor at the church for the last eight years, was asleep. Mr. Mulcahy said he's glad they did. "When he came outside and saw what was happening he wanted to run into the church-- to save stuff, I guess. We made him stay out. It was too dangerous." Firefighters later said that early detection of the fire probably saved it from spreading to nearby school build- ings and homes. The good Samaritans stayed with Father Charlie until firefighters arrived minutes later. The priest spent the rest of the morn- ing standing and looking at the damage, and moving among his flock to offer comfort to those who had come to offer it to him. Several times he knelt amongst them to speak to children, upset by the loss of the only church they had known. As daylight came, Ms Thibodeau and Mr. Mulcahy returned to view the dam- age. The priest embraced them. "You were God sent," he said. "You were just in time." The tragedy occurred on Pentecost Sunday, a day on which many theologians say God speaks with wind and fire. But Father Faleiro will have none of that. "All things are sent by God, and this is sent to bring us together," he said. Many parishioners, some dressed for services and learning of the devastation only on arrival, stood and cried as the father knelt beside a broken statue of the Virgin Mary. He and a young member of the congregation tried to repair the figure, which was damaged when walls of the gutted church were knocked down. There was not all sadness at the fire sight, though: parish members made plans for services that evening in Uxbridge, and talked of rebuilding from the fire that took a building, but not their faith. bia 2 FAITH IN THE FACE OF LOSS: Father Charlie Faleiro attempts to piece together a statue of the Virgin Mary (above) as a young parishioner looks on Sunday morning. It was damaged in the fire at Immaculate Conception. At right, the loss shows on the face of Father Faleiro as he holds a piece of the broken statue. RIK DAVIE/PORT PERRY STAR a chool takes steps to counsel children after devastating fire Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic School was a very quiet subdued place yesterday, according to school principal Rick Bunt. "The kids here were very subdued and thoughtful," he said. Last Sunday in the early hours of the morning fire swept through the church and destroyed it as many of the congregation, including youngsters, watched in disbelief. Mr. Bunt said that evidence of the effect of the loss of the church was visible among the children Monday. "Many parents who do not usually bring their kids to school did so today," he said. The separate school board also had members of their crisis teams on hand at the school to talk with kids, and answer questions that students may have about the 'whys' of the fire that swept through the recently renovated church so quickly that area fire- fighters had to fight to ensure the flames did not spread to adjacent homes, or to the school itself. Father Charlie Faleiro, who had to be stopped by passersby from trying to save articles from inside the church, spent time on Sunday morning on the sidewalk talking to youngsters from the congregation who were saddened and frightened by the fire. He did so once again Monday, speaking to the students over the public address system of the school. Mr. Bunt also said that plans are in the works to conduct Sunday worship in the school gymnasium until the church can be rebuilt. "It's kind of ironic that the church will find a temporary home at the school,"'he said. "In 1981 when we first started the school we had no building, so classes were held in the recreation hall of the church. Now the church will come to the school to be housed." Mr. Bunt said that the effect of the fire is showing on some staff members as well. "You have to remember that for many of us this is our church, our spiritual home if you will," he said. "Some of the staff here first taught in the church hall. It has an attachment for them." -Rik Davie