Sorrow and joy align at burned-out church in Oak Grove
Cathy Jones stood in front of the hollowed out walls of St. Peter's Episcopal Church, reading Old Testament scripture about Jerusalem lying in ruins, its gates burned by fire, just as the sanctuary behind her had been.
"Come, let us rebuild the walls," she said.
And, as she read the ancient words of Nehemiah, the sun seemed to peek through overcast skies. The bright rays on a chilly November morning, contrasted against the charred remains within the brick walls, illustrated the special service of "Lament and Hope" Monday at the Oak Grove church.
"This is a solemn but joyful day," said the Very Rev. Rodney Gordon, or Father Rod as he's called.
Almost 11 months ago, fire tore through the 175-year-old sanctuary as a result of an electrical fire near the organ which dated back to the days after the Civil War. Parishioners of the Westmoreland County church immediately began plans to build again and hoped they could save the front brick wall for use in the new interior.
But that was not to be, said Father Rod.
"The walls of our beloved St. Peter's Church must come down," he posted on Facebook last month. "This decision was not made lightly."
Those involved realized it would cost too much to stabilize the old front wall so church members pivoted. They hired the Spartan company from Fredericksburg and its contractor Demolition Services Inc. of Culpeper to carefully take down bricks from the front wall for use elsewhere on the property.
Salvageable pieces will form a labyrinth, a path of walking meditation, on St. Peter's Green.
Jones was among about 25 people who gathered for the service, then stayed later to watch the demolition. She said the past months had been a time of sorrow for the loss of the historic property, but also of joy as church membership has grown about 25% since the fire.
"We're a very tight-knit group, very welcoming of others, and what's gotten us through the grief and the mourning (is) the hope and the vision for the future," she said.
Her husband, Brent, chairs the steering committee focused on reconstruction and rebuilding, or St. Peter's version of R&R. After the service but before the demolition, Brent Jones and others gathered in the building called the kitchen on the green.
It's an old garage that's been repurposed for cooking community meals after the parish hall kitchen, next to the old sanctuary, was damaged by water and soot. St. Peter's recently served its largest crowd ever — giving out 430 shrimp dinners.
It never missed a beat in its meal ministry, serving dinners four weeks after the fire on Dec. 19, 2023.
Michael Wijdoogen, owner of MW Architects in Herndon, showed the group various options for the new building, including using brick pieces from the old wall to outline the footprint of the old sanctuary in the new building. Those present really liked that idea.
Brent Jones said a tweak or two might be needed, but that Wijdoogen and his crew really listened to what the parishioners wanted.
"A lot of what we talked about, you captured," he said.
That excitement was contrasted against the grief felt by Christina Gruszecki, her 10-year-old daughter Catherine and her mother, Louise Early. The three stood arm-in-arm during the service.
Gruszecki held back the tears as she recalled that all of her children were baptized in the old sanctuary. Others around her remembered family weddings and special events that brought the community together, favorite pews and sounds from the organ.
Cathy Gouldman Perry, the oldest lifetime member of the church, said she had many fond memories of the church — and that she wasn't going to share them.
Gruszecki and her family also have enjoyed services at nearby Ingleside Winery, owned by Doug Flemer, a member of St. Peter's.
"We're really enjoying the outdoor services, it's opened up a lot of different experiences for us and I think made us stronger in our faith and our fellowship," Gruszecki said. "And we're excited because the church is growing and the new building will be able to better support it."
Members also were excited to see the work of excavator operator Matthew Sharp, known as "Hoss." He operated the claw at the end of the machine's arm like a doctor performing robotic surgery.
Sharp first removed the shrubs out front, picking them up as delicately as a mother bear would carry cubs in her mouth. Then, instead of demolishing the front wall with a couple of well-placed hits, he carefully picked off a row or two at a time to keep the brick pieces intact as much as possible.
Wijdoogen said he hoped the rebuilding of St. Peter's could begin by late spring or early summer. Father Rod believes the payment from the insurance company probably won't cover the full cost, and the church has been fundraising almost as long as it's been sifting through ashes. He's confident everything will work out.
"The congregation is strong, the congregation is resilient," he said.
The Rt. Rev. Gayle Harris, assistant bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, also reminded those gathered that God dwells in hearts and minds, bodies and souls, not in anything built by human hands.
"While we are saddened by what has happened here, God is still present," she said. "God is still present in what is left and God will still be present in what is to come."
Cathy Dyson: 540/374-5425
Health, King George, features and is a local columnist
