Catholics in Pueblo send prayers after Notre Dame fire
The Notre Dame Cathedral fire in Paris has led to prayers from Catholics all around the globe, including here in southern Colorado.
For those that were in attendance at noon mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Pueblo the pews were a little more packed. Whether that’s because Easter is right around the corner or yesterday’s fire, it’s hard to say.
However, it is safe to say that Monday’s fire hit close to home for many Catholics in Pueblo.
“Yesterday was just a shocking deal,” said Tim Sena, a daily churchgoer at Sacred Heart Cathedral. “That’s something you never think is going to happen.”
Sena says a lot of parishioners at Tuesday’s mass had the Catholics of Paris in their thoughts and prayers.
“You see them mourning, crying, and praying yesterday,” said Sena. “I truly felt for them.”
Like so many others, Pueblo’s Catholic Bishop Stephen Berg couldn’t comprehend what he was seeing on his television screen Monday morning.
“[The Notre Dame Cathedral] is more than a symbol of Catholicism; it’s a symbol of our faith and it’s a symbol of our history and tradition,” said Berg. “Yesterday was unbelievable.”
Pueblo is no stranger to Catholic churches bursting into flames. Back in 2008, lightning struck the steeple tower at Sacred Heart Cathedral, causing flames and smoke to pour out.
“The fire reminded me of how close we came to losing a lot of the church here in Pueblo,” said Debbie Rendon, who has worked for the Catholic Diocese in Pueblo for more than 20 years. “If it hadn’t been for the firefighters and the first responders doing their job and working so hard to get that fire out, we might have lost more than we did.”
It took two weeks until the church could be rebuilt and they could continue holding mass. However, Notre Dame may never be the same again.
“Where are they going to go for Easter?” asked Rendon. “How are they going to worship this week, knowing they can’t go into the building?”
But the rebuild effort is already underway. French businessmen have already promised hundreds of millions of dollars to rebuild the cathedral, and French President Emmanuelle Macron has stated that they will rebuild it and it will be even more beautiful than before.
Bishop Berg in Pueblo says people have already shown interest in donating to the rebuild.
The Pueblo Catholic Diocese is working with the council of bishops in the U.S. to coordinate efforts to lend assistance. That’s still in development; we will keep you updated with those plans when they come forward.
