Bishop Gilmore consoles Greensburg parishioners at Mass in Pratt

By David Myers

Southwest Kansas Register

PRATT – Greensburg parishioners, mourning the loss of their beloved St. Joseph Church, and for many, their homes, received personal consolation from Bishop Ronald M. Gilmore at a special Mass May 20 in Pratt.

“Lord, you allowed your people to be visited by a mighty wind,” Bishop Gilmore prayed during the Mass. “May your people be visited by the supernatural words of your Spirit.”

It seemed appropriate when many of the 55 families who are parishioners of the now devastated church sang, “May our tears be turned into dancing.”

“The Greensburg parish picked all the music for the Mass,” Sacred Heart singer Cecilia Peltier said following the celebration.

The first reader at the Mass was Sandra Young of Haviland, and the second reader was Lynette Pauley of Mullinville. Haviland and Mullenville were the two towns where shelters were set up for survivors after the tornado ravaged Greensville.

“The second lesson this morning contained a point that St. Paul made on behalf of the Ephesians,” the bishop commented.

“St. Paul said, ‘May the eyes of your heart be enlightened.’ I want to say that same thing to you this morning. I want to say that because this is a hard feast for you to celebrate, the feast of the Ascension. It is hard for you to celebrate when you have lost everything.”

Ellen Peters of Greensburg, the director of liturgy for St. Joseph Church, wrote the petitions about Greensburg and read all of the petitions during the Mass.

Among them were: “That prayer and generous assistance help all who have suffered devastating loss in armed conflict or natural disaster to again find joy in life including the people of Greensburg and the surrounding area, and the members of St. Joseph Parish. ... In gratitude for all the everyday heroes who put aside their own wants and needs to respond in compassionate service to the needs of the tornado victims over the last two weeks, we pray to the Lord.”

Following Mass, Father Gregory Le Blanc, pastor of St. Joseph’s in Greenburg and pastor of Sacred Heart in Pratt, invited the combined congregations to join the bishop and him for dinner.

It was a time of laughter, and a chance for Greensburg parishioners to talk to the bishop, Father Le Blanc, and to each other about their painful experiences.

Highway Patrolman Eric Haskin, who lives a block and a half from St. Joseph Church, was off duty at the time the tornado roared into town. But when the winds died down, he went out into the dark night to help first responders move the injured and clear a path from the hospital to the highway.

“It was a shock to me when the sun came up and we could see all the damage in the daylight,” he said.

Both doors were torn off the garage owned by William and Carmen Renfrow of Greensburg, but their cars inside the garage were not damaged, they said.

“There was plenty of damage around us, but we had only water damage and the roof and siding torn off, plus lots of broken glass,” Carmen explained. “My husband drives a big 18-wheeler truck, and it was on its side the next morning.”

The conversation around the tables continued with people commenting how much worse the damage was on the west side of Greensburg. Some people expressed alarm that a few residents of Greensburg had stepped out of their homes before the tornado passed.

“One person died when he was hit in the head by a two-by-four,” a woman commented. “Another man went outside, and could hardly get back inside the door because the wind was so strong.”

One man who died had moved his pickup from in front of the house and parked it under the carport after he heard the warning siren. When his house blew away, the car was thrown into the basement and fell on top of him.

The parishioners seemed comforted by telling their stories and hearing the tales of others who survived the night of destruction. Their compassion showed in their faces as they related the circumstances of those who had been injured or died and the painful condition of their town.

“A lot of history is gone,” Carmen said. “But we are going to get a brand new town. We are going to start over, and hopefully do it all right.”

St. Joseph parishioners will continue attending the 10:45 a.m. Mass in Pratt until a temporary structure can be erected in Greensburg.