Maria Stein, Ohio — 2 NEWS is on its way to recovery after a massive fire engulfed St. John the Baptist Church last Thursday.
Damage and debris cover the Maria Stein church grounds, but the most important thing is that the church is still standing. While the steeple and roof were severely damaged in a fire on May 29, safety officials believe the 135-year-old structure can be restored.
“To go through this, you know, grieving at first, but hopefully working toward restoration later,” said Jennifer Schack, Archdiocese of Cincinnati director of media relations.
Faith leaders say the community has rallied to support St. John the Baptist Church just days after the devastating fire. Now, everyone is working toward restoration.
According to church officials, their primary focus is on removing items from the church’s basement that were damaged by the large amount of water used to extinguish the fire.
Following the discovery that the ceiling fell straight down and the steeple fell to the south, recovery crews believe the church’s wall structure remained intact.
However, officials say that more testing is needed to confirm this before determining how the restoration process will proceed.
There is currently no estimate for the extent of the church’s damage or the cost of repairs.
Schack says the decision on how to proceed will be up to the church and its leadership, but she hopes restoration will be an option.
“The church’s walls were still sound, and the building could be restored. It is too early to say whether that will be the path forward, but they were hopeful that it could be an option,” said Schack.
Parishioners are also still hoping for a complete restoration. Precious Blood Church in Chickasaw will remain open to St. John the Baptist members until the church recovers.
