Faithful turn to prayer as tornadoes tear through center of US, taking at least 21 lives

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (OSV News) — Catholic faithful turned to prayer as tornadoes carved a deadly path through the center of the United States March 31, killing at least 21, injuring dozens and devastating thousands of homes and businesses.

More than 50 preliminary tornado reports have been received in at least seven states: Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Mississippi, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

In Belvidere, Ill., the roof of the Apollo Theater collapsed during a concert, killing one and sending 28 others to the hospital.

By the afternoon of April 1, powerful winds had knocked out the power in more than 850,000 homes and businesses in 14 states, according to PowerOutage.us.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency after multiple devastating tornadoes struck the state, including Little Rock, the state capital. She promised to “spare no resource to assist with response and recovery efforts.”

Parishes throughout the affected areas canceled planned Lenten devotions for Friday evening, with many advertising disaster safety and relief information on their social media accounts.

Kristy Dunn, principal of St. Teresa Catholic School in Little Rock, said the tornadoes were all too familiar.

“I actually experienced a tornado destroying my house when I was 14,” she said. “So it’s a part of my experience. It’s a little emotional to speak about.”

Dunn said one student’s home was flattened by the tornado, with “a very generous school family” taking in the child and her family, as Dunn and the school community gathered clothing and other necessities.

The St. Teresa students had been in church when a storm watch — quickly upgraded to a warning — was issued in the 2 p.m. hour, said Dunn. Students and staff relocated to the school to shelter, following emergency guidelines developed in part by her brother, a National Weather Service meteorologist, and a school parent who is an engineer.

“The Lord is abundantly good,” said Dunn. “Having those two (experts) in addition to law enforcement helped us to stay safe.”

Dunn, who said school faculty did “a tremendous job” in reassuring the children, checked on the classes throughout the warning, saying she “wanted to be with every single class, in every single safe space.”

She was especially concerned about the third grade classes, who had been hard hit by news of the March 27 mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn., which claimed the lives of six, including three 9-year-old students.

“Our third grade classes realized they were the same age as the victims,” said Dunn. “They had a lot of emotions yesterday already, and then we’re telling them to shelter in place for (tornadoes).”

Students turned to prayer, with one kindergarten boy excitedly telling Dunn he and his classmates had “prayed two times.”

St. Teresa pastor Father Stephen Gadberry said students at other area Catholic schools had done the same, sharing videos from Christ the King Catholic School in Little Rock, where children sang Christian composer Michael W. Smith’s song “Our God Is An Awesome God,” and from Sacred Heart Catholic School in Morrilton, whose students sang the Divine Mercy chaplet to guitar accompaniment.

Father Gadberry said while his parish did not sustain any direct damage, he was “still assessing” the storm’s impact on parishioners, who are also organizing to assist cleanup efforts.

His mother and two brothers some 100 miles northeast in Wynne, Ark. — where a tornado killed 4, destroying schools, homes, businesses and churches — were unhurt, although the town was “obliterated,” he said.

“Thank the Lord, (our) house is out in the country on a family farm, so it didn’t have any damage,” he said. “But they all saw it go south of the house.”

St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Wynne was spared, said Father Gadberry, who spoke with pastor Father Alfhones Perikala.

“There’s no major damage to the church, which is truly a miracle, since right across the road from them, other buildings were obliterated,” said Father Gadberry. “But a number of parishioners have completely lost their homes. Having grown up there, it was very surreal to see the news headlines.”

Little Rock Bishop Anthony B. Taylor has been calling clergy, said Father Gadberry.

“He knows all of us by name, and he was checking on me this morning, especially with my family in Wynne,” Father Gadberry said. “The communication among the clergy has been phenomenal.”

Amid the loss of life and property, the storms have helped to reveal God’s mysterious plans, he said.

“Any time a natural disaster hits … it brings us to our knees, and not in a cute theological sense,” Father Gadberry said. “It levels the playing field and shows we’re not the big and strong individuals we think we are. We really do need community. Literally, overnight, enemies are working together in the same yard, getting past their differences. … We’re a pilgrim people, and we have to journey on together.”

Dunn agreed, saying that her school community members have been “texting wildly” asking how they can help.

“The Lord is so good … and there is so much good in humanity,” she said. “Praise God I’m able to see it up close and personal now.”

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