After a fire tore through St. Rita Church in Dundalk, Maryland, July 1, Father Kevin Mueller pulled a scorched statue of the Virgin Mary from the rubble — a small but powerful sign of hope for the local Catholic community.
The statue, once part of a parish nativity scene, stood at the front of a July 2 Mass held at Our Lady of Hope-St. Luke School in support of the St. Rita community, the Catholic Review reported. With her arms folded in adoration of the Christ child, the figure — untouched by cleaning or restoration — became a quiet witness to the parish’s loss, resilience, and faith.
“I wanted to leave it as it was,” Father Mueller told parishioners, according to the outlet. “[As] a ‘coming up out of the ashes’ sort of a thing.”
The blaze had been sparked by a lightning strike that damaged the church’s bell system and ignited a fire in the upper sections of the building. Water, smoke, and soot left much of the church in disrepair.
“The ceiling is black,” Father Mueller said. “If you go in there and you touch a pew, you’re going to have soot all over your hands.”
Tom Alban, director of risk management for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, estimated more than $750,000 in damage. He said repairs will likely take 60 to 90 days. The building is insured, but its long-term future will be determined by archdiocesan leaders.
During his homily, the pastor encouraged the community to remain united, reminding them, “Our church is not just that building. It’s more than that.”
He also called for gratitude, drawing on the Gospel of the ten lepers.
“Don’t be like the nine that didn’t show up,” he told the faithful. “They weren’t thankful. Be like the one that came back. Let’s be thankful for that. We need to also be thankful for us because that fire didn’t stop us.”
Peggy Schaffer, a longtime parishioner, admitted that she was “beside [herself]” after learning about the fire. But the Mass and the presence of the statue gave her consolation, according to the Catholic Review.
She said, “God does use all things for good.”
