The Church was Finally Built and It Looked Magnificent
The skies turned dark as the planes flew over
The builder and the priest looked at the Church and it looked magnificent. The year was 1915, a year of upheaval and turbulence. This was one year since World War 1 had started. It was one of the deadliest conflicts in history and it would result in 93 military personnel dead and 23 million people wounded. The war stretched across Europe, Russia, the Middle East, the Pacific Ocean, and the Pacific Islands.
Roger was a builder and helped his friend Father Jerome build the new parish Church in a small town in the northern part of Britain. The two men were good friends since their school days. The town of Beresford Haven had an old church built a hundred years ago. The church of Saint Batholomew was crumbling and it needed urgent repairs.
Raising money to fund the renovation of the Church became the primary goal of the good Father Jerome, a rotund-looking man, with a cheery attitude and a happy smile. There were charity dances in the Church Hall, the summer and winter fairs where parishioners sold their pickles and cakes, talent and art shows, and games for the young people were the fund-raising projects. After three years of this fundraising drive, the Church, its priest, and the parishioners had raised enough money to overhaul the old structure and make it a suitable place for worship. The Church was a hazard to all who attended with its peeling paint, broken windows, and rotting rafters.
One year later, the Church of Saint Bartholomew was finally completed. The new Church looked magnificent, with its tall and shiny new spire. The glint of the large cross caught the sunlight and it reflected its light all around. Father Jerome was sipping a cup of tea and he had to squint his eyes as he looked at the large cross.
“This Church looks splendid and I’m sure, Saint Bart must be very pleased. This is paradise”, said Fr. Jerome, with a contented smile.
“I’m glad we could get the job done in time for the Feast Day, Father.”
The skies over the town turned dark. Enemy planes could be seen flying across with great speed. Bombs were being dropped everywhere.
It was all over in five minutes.
The Church was destroyed in the attack, several people lay dying and dead on the streets, while a number of the homes in Beresford Haven were rubble.
Father Jerome had survived the attack, but his parishioner and loyal builder friend Roger, was not so lucky. The priest immediately set out to help the injured and prayed over those who had died in the attack. Father Jerome knew that he would rebuild the Church but that was something to be done later, he now had to attend to his injured flock.