As parishioners walked the Stations of the Cross Friday afternoon, air conditioning repairs were underway just around the corner, thanks to donations. While the parish and the diocese do carry insurance, in this case, repairs needed to be made in a hurry.
Three nights in a row last week, copper thieves scaled the fence and destroyed the small church's central air units. This however, is a story about restoration. The thieves are still at large, but so are people willing to help.
Donor Ivan Konig said, "You don't have to make huge contributions. You just have to know you can do a something that makes a little bit of a difference with lots of other people."
There have been donations, small and very large. A pair of five ton units were donated by Jim McIngvale, better known as Mattress Mack, along with Freon. The historic brick church is already cooling off and the central air units are more secure.
"The cages over here, they're going to put four by four pipe going up into the building," explained Dennis Hermann with New Horizon AC.
There is still more damage to be repaired and more help needed. Even so, during this Holy Week, church volunteer Reola Reed feels especially blessed.
"The disappointment I felt at the start of the week was really a joyous thing," she said. "I'm not sad anymore."
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