Father Alan Jurkus - a tall man with hair as white as the robes he wore for evening Mass Saturday - stood at the doors leading to St. Alphonsus Catholic Church's community room with his arms spread wide.continue at MJS
"Happy New Year!" he said to his arriving congregation.
"The cathedral is this way!"
A writer could wear out the exclamation-mark key on his computer quoting a man like Jurkus, whose enthusiasm and humor seemed unscathed by the fire that, reported two minutes into the first hour of Christmas Day, wreaked hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to St. Alphonsus' sanctuary and school.
The original estimate of what the fire would cost, which was around $200,000, is, Jurkus said, "a dream."
"They're up to $300,000 already and they haven't even gotten to the church," he said in a manner that, all things considered, sounded downright cheery.
Another estimate that Jurkus is not putting much faith in is the one that asserts the sanctuary will be ready for business in about two months.
"You know how those things work," he said.
"Eight weeks becomes 10 weeks becomes . . ." and he shrugged.
In the meantime, parishioners are squeezing into the community room, where folding chairs and a temporary altar have been set up, and into an adjoining space, where folding chairs and a screen the size of a Jumbotron have been arranged.
The Mass being said in the community room is projected onto the screen, an event Jurkus calls "sacrament by satellite." [which of course is an oxymoron]
Photo and video at Fox6
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