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"Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" By Chris Hall Port Perry Star Almost three years after a spectacular fire destroyed one of Port Perry's most recognizable landmarks, the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church has risen from the ashes. Powe : An unbelievable amount of work and financial sup- rE #1 port by its parishioners and members of the local community have gone into rebuilding the church, which was razed by fire on May 31, 1998. During the early hours of that morning and into the following after- noon firefighters with the Scugog Fire Department battled the blaze in an attempt to save as much of the local church as possible. Despite their efforts, all that remained of Port Perry's only Catholic church after the fire had been beaten was a few badly-damaged exterior walls. Parishioners and others gathered around the site, watching the firefighters and comforting Father Charles Faliero, who watched in horror as the church was destroyed. It is still unknown as to why the church became engulfed in flames. Foul play was ruled out and there was speculation by some that either the tip of the church's tower was struck by lightning or faulty electri- cal wiring led to the blaze. Now, three years later, the site has been cleared and standing in the place of the original church is a new modern marvel, says Father ]). Bernard Canning, who now oversees the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. While it seemed like forever to the local congrega- tion before work began on rebuilding, the majority of construction work on the new facility is now complete, RA RRR A AA EA A Ar WAL SSRI oo BO of the ashes Three years after fire destroyed the original Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, rebuilding work is now pretty much complete. The new ating a space inside the church, centre, is much larger than its predecessor, top left. A spectacular fire church where people destroyed the church on May 31, 1998 and left but a few ruins. However, a could meet other than rebuilding effort was soon begun, and the church is now open once again. and parishioners have made the welcome move to the new church. "Things are going pretty well, everyone seems happy with it and we've been holding services there since Easter," said Father Canning. "People were very optimistic that we would rebuild and they were very supportive in our ~fforts. "Everyone is happy to be back in the church after having services in the (nearby Immaculate Conception Catholic) school for the past three years." Outside, passersby often take note of the unique shape of the new church. Gone is the formal look; that feature has been replaced by an irregularly shaped building with an equally irregular rooftop. Much larger than its predecessor, the new church can now seat up to 600 -- about 100 more than the first church -- and has a welcoming feel to it once you enter the main doors which lead into a large foyer. "It's a nice big foyer which leads to offices and a chapel. Once you walk through the glass doors you get to the main section of the church and the place of wor- ship," Father Canning said. Work remains to be done in the basement, which church officials are hop- ing to turn into a com- munity hall in the near future. "The church has a different shape; this Catholic church is defi- nitely different from the old ones. The large foyer is there for social- izing," Father Canning said. "These changes have come as a result of the way things have changed in the past 40 years; it's a bit different, but we're adapting to the times. We're trying to form a community here." Father Canning pointed out that by cre- the chapel is a sign of the times. "In the old churches people just went there to wor- ship, but most people lived and worked in the com- munity and socialized that way," he said. "Now, with people commuting to work and leading busy lifestyles, meeting at the church may possibly be the only way to form a close community." A few minor details -- artwork and furnishings -- are left to be taken care of upstairs, and in time the parish- ioners will work on the community hall downstairs, said Father Canning. In total, the cost of rebuilding the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church will run about $2.6 million. Of that amount, only about $600,000 remains owing. "Things are moving along steadily, and I think we'll be alright. What happened was a terrible thing, but everyone has pulled together for the church." An official opening of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church will be held on Oct. 14. -