BY KATHI STEARNS

As she arrived for choir practice Tuesday evening one parishioner of Saints Peter and Paul put her face in her hands and went about observing the damage resulting from a tornado which struck the church grounds Monday, June 27 at 6:32 a.m.

Approximately 22 trees surrounding the church, convent, school and rectory lay in twisted, tangled formations obstructing both the entrance and exit of the church parking lot. One tree was propped against two other trees until it finally gave way and became completely uprooted some hours later. Power and telephone lines were ensnared in tree debris.

Father Richard Wise, pastor, thought he was dreaming when the storm struck. "I was awakened by the powerful sounds of the tornado... Sister Alice then came out and got me saying that there had been an emergency at the convent. When I walked outside it look like a scene from a war movie," Father Wise said.

"The winds were so violent that the masonry dust from the buildings has resettled," Father wise said. The chalk-like dust can be found throughout the church, rectory, convent and school.

Father Wise has arranged for an engineer to evaluate the buildings even though no evidence of structural damage was observed other than "minor roof damage" caused by falling trees.

The parish men's club has cleared the entrance to the church and the walkway to the convent which were inaccessible because of fallen trees. Estimates indicate that it will take at least five ten-hour days to remove the trees from the lawn; meanwhile, financial losses continue to be assessed.

Although the grounds are in disrepair no people were injured during the storm. "We're so grateful that the tornado didn't hit 20 minutes later when parents would have been dropping their children off for summer camp. We had to wave everyone away; we couldn't risk anyone getting near downed power lines or falling tree limbs."

Sts. Peter and Paul parish had celebrated its 35th anniversary the weekend before the storm. Father Wise realizes that many parishioners will react with shock as they see the damage their parish has sustained but believes "we'll come through it together" with the support of prayer and community efforts to restore their parish home. St. Michael’s Parish, in Gainesville, was also damaged in Monday's early morning storms, but Father Bill Hoffman reports that the damage sustained was minor.