Storm rips off section of Dominican motherhouse roof in Nashville

Published: 2004-07-20

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CNS) -- A storm that left a trail of damage from the Chicago area through Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and into Alabama roared through the Nashville area July 13, ripping a newly installed roof from the motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia. The storm sent debris into the dormitory, where nearly 70 sisters were ending their day and preparing for bed, but no one was injured. There were no reported deaths in any of the states affected by the storms, which left hundreds of thousands without power. But a 36-year-old tree trimmer from Arkansas was killed July 18 in Louisville, Ky., when a tree fell on him during cleanup efforts. "We're just so blessed that not one sister got even a scratch," said Dominican Sister Mary Angela Highfield, director of the novitiate which shared the living quarters that were heavily damaged.

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