Catholics in Key West pray at grotto for protection from storms

Published: 2004-08-16

KEY WEST, Fla. (CNS) -- As Hurricane Charley approached the Florida Keys Aug. 13, teacher Joan Roman lit a vigil candle at St. Mary Star of the Sea's grotto. She has seen firsthand the power of prayer at this sacred place. Last year, Roman's kindergarten students visited the grotto every week to pray for Shirley Blazevic, a parishioner who was told she had cancer and was given four to six months to live. A year later, Blazevic is cancer free. Just as Blazevic put her life in God's hands, Key West Catholics do the same during the storm season. Hurricane Charley spared the Keys any major damage, although an estimated 1.4 million people were evacuated in anticipation of the storm. Charley rapidly gained strength in the Gulf of Mexico after crossing Cuba and swinging around the Florida Keys as a more moderate Category 2 storm. On its march north, it intensified to a Category 4 storm. It hit land with winds reaching 145 mph and a surge of sea water of 13 feet to 15 feet, devastating the communities of Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte. As of Aug. 16, officials said the death toll in the state had reached at least 17, with dozens of people still missing. Charley also killed four people in Cuba and one in Jamaica. In Florida, officials estimated the storm caused $11 billion in damage to insured homes alone. "During the threat of hurricane, you will see people praying at the grotto," Deacon Peter Batty told The Florida Catholic, newspaper of the Miami Archdiocese.

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