By james art 
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Today … bells rang.
But on the morning of Saturday, February 19, the only sound was a huge fire that broke out in St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.
Investigators say the fire started in the attic, eventually spreading throughout the church. The rector of St. Luke, Dr. Brian Owen, was there watching the building burn.
“It was surreal, and never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined something like this,” Reverend Owen said. “It was devastating.”
Fortunately, no one was hurt, but the church was a total loss. However, Reverend Owen says the community has recovered – the unity of the rouge bar is on full display – regardless of faith denomination.
“It’s a testament to unity that in the face of adversity, there’s a willingness to come out and support each other when we need each other.”
Hundreds of people close to the church gathered at the University Methodist Church for a benefit concert for St. Luke’s.
John Parks, executive director of the Interfaith Federation, was also on the scene the morning of the fire. He sensed the desire of the people to regroup and rebuild as one.
“Yet at the time, even then, I could tell that people thought we were going to be OK, we were going to get through this,” Parks said. “And they did, they did incredibly well.”
The fire hit St. Luke’s hard, but it also provided a new perspective for those closest to him.
“Sometimes you have to take a hit to really appreciate what you have,” says Reverend Owen. “And you know we can restore buildings, but the community is strong and it’s actually an exciting time for us.”
Reverend Owen says there are still ways to continue the recovery – but it is a work in progress.
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