Storm stories: The region begins to recover

Hendersonville

Margaret Beale
Principal of Immaculata Catholic School

When the six-month anniversary of Helene fell on March 27, Principal Margaret Beale, students and staff at Immaculata Catholic School were dealing with another potential natural disaster: nearby wildfires that made the air so smoky students had to stay inside for recess.

“These wildfires really made it clear that we’re still healing,” Beale said. “You could tell in the way kids talked about the wildfires, their worry and concern.”

Beale was one of the people who initially contacted diocesan officials after Helene to raise awareness about the area’s dire needs, and soon supplies were flowing.

Six months on, the need for supplies has dwindled, and Beale and her staff are focusing on being aware of the needs of families who have regained at least a degree of normalcy.

“We are definitely monitoring the need and finding out if people need help with tuition and necessities. We have people needing help here and there, but it’s nowhere near what we had at the beginning of the crisis.”

Asheville

Father Pat Cahill
Pastor of St. Eugene Parish

The recent wildfires in western North Carolina reminded St. Eugene’s pastor Father Pat Cahill that life at the parish is still being transformed by Helene. The confirmation retreat had to be moved due to poor air quality.

“This is an example of how six months later, we’re still feeling directly the fallout from Helene,” he said. “Millions of trees that have been dead now for six months were fueling these fires. It can be tough to not be discouraged with so much seemingly piling up against us.”

About 70 teenagers attended the relocated retreat and “had a good experience of prayer and fun,” he said – evidence that life at the parish has largely bounced back to normal, Father Cahill said. Sacrament preparation classes are on schedule. Mass attendance is back to pre-storm numbers. Lenten observances and preparations for Holy Week are going well.

Keeping the spiritual life of the parish alive has been an ongoing priority of Father Cahill’s. St. Eugene kept Masses going the weekend right after the storm hit, with candlelight and sunlight replacing electricity.

Waynesville and Canton

Father Paul McNulty
Pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish and Immaculate Conception Mission

Since the first days after Helene hit, helping those in need has been the continual goal at St. John the Evangelist in Waynesville and its mission, Immaculate Conception in Canton.

Father Paul McNulty, pastor, recalls the days immediately after the storm when Waynesville became a supply hub. The church didn’t sustain any damage, but the town and surrounding communities were inundated by floodwaters.

The parish had about 20 families whose homes were severely damaged or destroyed completely, with damage hitting the little town of Clyde especially hard.

The difficulties of the past few months recede when he meets with families who are bouncing back. He has even been able to bless new homes for several people who lost theirs.

While Father McNulty is not seeing a lot of people openly dealing with trauma, he knows the struggle is there.

“I think this is something all of us who went through will carry with us for the rest of our lives,” he said.

Mars Hill and Burnsville

Kelly Hansen
Parish secretary at St. Andrew the Apostle Parish and Sacred Heart Mission

In the days immediately after Helene, St. Andrew the Apostle in Mars Hill and its mission, Sacred Heart in Burnsville, quickly became major relief hubs for parishioners and residents in need of basic supplies – food, clothing, water, diapers, toiletries and more.

Six months later, the supply effort at St. Andrew is still going on, evidence of the ongoing need and the hearts of the parishioners, said Kelly Hansen, parish secretary.

“We’re still seeing 25 to 30 people a day. Most are from the surrounding community because so many people here lost their jobs. There were factories in the area that shut down because of the storm.”

The supply center has been moved into the education wing to make space for Lenten activities and other parish efforts.

“We’re preparing for Palm Sunday,” Hansen said. “So it feels like the life of the parish is coming back to normal.”