The post-Irma news coming from Mary Help of Christians Center in Tampa was good news. I spoke with Fr. Bruce Craig by phone on Tuesday afternoon, and he told me the hurricane “was like
a bad thunderstorm. The retention pond [behind St. Philip Residence] filled up more from a storm last week. We lost a few trees, and a corner of the gym
roof peeled. We lost cable service for a
few hours, but not electricity. We had
60-100 people stay overnight in the dorm, there was so little [local] damage that they
were out the next day.”
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Gathering thunderclouds presage a typical "bad thunderstorm" over the Mary Help campus,
in November 2003. Photos by your humble blogger, who served at MHC in 2002-2004.
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Late on Tuesday, I got additional news and pictures from Lili DeGrasse, Fr. Steve's executive assistant:
Here are some photos [below] taken by various MHC staff members throughout the preparation for the storm and shelter (we had about 100 lay people join the 23 SDBs on campus to ride out the storm).
In the next two emails, I will send more photos depicting:
- continual prayer and very collaborative community living among all 100+ that stayed in the main building during Irma (approx. 15 SDB’s stayed at St. Philip; remainder of SDB’s stayed with lay folks in main building)
- damages to Mary Help Center post-hurricane and some photos of the lay people (who had evacuated to MHC) plus SDB’s and staff, helping cleanup that very same day and throughout the week
Also know that for us in Tampa, the window of time when Irma would be passing was from 7:00 pm Sunday evening, 9/10, through early morning hours on Monday, 9/11. We had continual adoration and prayer in Good Shepherd Chapel from 7:00 pm – 8:00 am, at which point we celebrated mass together. Our Lady truly did take care of us this night! And the mixed community of people here collaborated well together, from mopping water that came in through windows and under doorframes to collecting the trash to maintaining orderliness and calm. It was peaceful within even when the storm was at its worst. We primarily used Pitsch Hall, the cafeteria (for meals, the gathering room and for games to occupy the children) and the chapel, though other rooms and offices throughout the building also accommodated those who needed shelter.
Lili also noted that the parish's Knights of Columbus provided breakfast for the storm's "huddled masses" on Sunday and Monday, and a spaghetti supper on Sunday.
Late this morning Fr. Steve Ryan communicated to his and MHCC's many friends with this header and report:
Blessed Mother Saves Tampa and Mary Help of Christians
Hurricane Irma Miraculously Changes Course
The
Blessed Mother really was with us on Sunday night! Here
at Mary Help of Christians Center over 120 people took shelter during Hurricane
Irma. We had a very good experience together praying throughout the
weekend and helping one another. When the warning came out that residents
of Tampa, especially those in flood zones and mobile homes, were required to
evacuate, many churches put up a sign on the front lawn: “No Mass this
weekend. Good luck and God bless.” At Mary Help of Christians, we
sent out communications: “Come here for Mass, for safety. Spend the
night; we will feed you.” This was made possible because of the dedicated
staff and volunteers of Mary Help of Christians Center and the generosity of
parishioners who provided food. Fr. Steve Dumais began his
assignment as pastor this weekend and although it was not quite the way he
envisioned his first weekend would be, he was impressed with the Knights of
Columbus who provided breakfast for the many evacuees who stayed at MHC.
We
sustained damage. The gym roof was seriously affected and all activities
in the gymnasium are suspended for the time-being. However, volunteers
have already begun to clean up the tree, branch and fence damage and activities
like the upcoming weekend retreat and Ministry Fair are still on.
That was followed by loads of photos, some of which are already presented above. Others:
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