‘Lightning has its wrath’: Christ the King Catholic Church stunned by fire

A hand-carved wooden crucifix dangling from the ceiling.

The altar covered with charred debris. A gaping hole overhead with a burnt cupola extending from the rooftop.

Such was the sight Wednesday as members of Christ the King Catholic Church entered their sanctuary the morning after lightning struck the beautiful house of worship.

As they walked through the front door, the vestibule was littered with glass and drenched with water.

One woman shook her head and sobbed over the damage. Others just stood stunned.

Those who came for morning mass were told it was canceled.

“It’s an act of nature, nothing you can do about it,” said Frank Boykin, a member of the Pine Mountain congregation for more than 30 years. “Lightning has its wrath, and there’s no sanctuary away from the elements. I’m just glad it didn’t set the whole church on fire.”

Christ the King Church is located on Ga. 354 near the main entrance of Callaway Gardens in Harris County.

Father Ron Madden, a retired Navy captain who pastors the congregation, said parishioners attended mass at about 7 p.m. Tuesday and the lightning struck less than two hours later at about 8:45 p.m. People had just left the building and no one was injured, he said.

About seven fire trucks showed up from all over the county, Madden said. Firefighters battled the blaze until 5 a.m, and when they left they warned that there could be a flare-up. One did occur later, at 6:30 a.m.

“We dialed 911 and got them back again, and that’s where we are right now,” Madden said late Wednesday morning. “We’re hoping there’s not another flare-up.”

The church’s stained glass windows survived the blaze, along with sacred vessels, candles, a tabernacle and vestments used for worship. On Wednesday, parishioners moved all that they could salvage to a recently built pastoral center located on the 21-acre property.

Madden said the 25,000-square-foot facility includes a hall that can hold about 500 people. He predicted it would be several months before the congregation could worship in the main sanctuary.

The church, which now boasts about 500 members, started as a mission of St. Anne Catholic Church in Columbus, according to Madden and members. In 2001, Madden led the land purchase, and the church building was erected in 2007.

The crucifix dangling from the sanctuary was displayed on opening day, but it’s worth $50,000 and the church couldn’t afford to purchase it. So a visitor donated it to the congregation.

Madden said a Hawaiian artist hand-carved it out of a single piece of Honduran mahogany.

Some members who showed up Wednesday said Madden dedicated his life to building the church, and they were saddened to see some of his work go up in smoke.

“We were a small little church and couldn’t afford it, and he went out and collected the money,” Boykin said. “... He has literally worked day and night over the years to get this church built and to have a beautiful house of God.”

Madden said the fire is just part of life and the congregation will adapt to the new situation.

“There was a cross before there was a resurrection,” he said. “In all of our lives we have to be prepared to face the challenges as well as enjoy the fruit. And so I feel very confident going forward that this is one of those stations of the cross that we will go through and overcome to be the faith community that God calls us to be.”

This story was originally published August 16, 2017 at 6:25 PM with the headline "‘Lightning has its wrath’: Christ the King Catholic Church stunned by fire."