A church reborn after the storm
In the beginning, there will be no lights.
The sanctuary of St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church in Spring — shuttered since the waters of Harvey poured through its doors — will be cloaked in darkness.
As a procession makes its way through the refurbished church, past the freshly painted walls and over just-installed travertine and carpet flooring, past the restored frescoes and along the rows of gleaming new pews, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo will sprinkle holy water on the walls and the gathered faithful.
The leader of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston will offer a prayer of dedication, asking for God’s blessing, and anoint the altar with sacred chrism, a reminder of Christ’s role as the “anointed one.”
Finally, candles will illuminate the altar — followed by the lighting of the church.
The parish flock of St. Ignatius, who have spent nine months worshipping in school gyms, neighboring churches, and a parking lot tent, will at last be home.
But the rededication ceremony, scheduled for Thursday, will not erase the long journey from ruin to resurrection. As with so many churches, synagogues and mosques across Houston, the damage inflicted by the storm changed not only the buildings, but the people as well.
They are marked by the memories of the flood and everything they lost, by the months spent displaced from their spiritual home, and by faith that grew stronger after it was shaken.