As fire fell from the sky on Friday night, the parish community of St. Patrick’s in Maple Ridge opened their doors to residents of a neighbouring apartment complex engulfed in flames.
“The sky was bright orange. The fire was falling from the sky – everyone had to find shelter,” apartment resident and St. Patrick’s parishioner Julia Hanley told The B.C. Catholic. “It looked like hell.”
The fire destroyed Hanley’s apartment after it jumped the back lane from a neighbouring construction site. She is one of 200 people and at least 20 St. Pat’s parishioners directly affected by the fire.
“It was intense,” said St. Patrick’s pastor Father Matthew To. “It was a miracle that the fire stopped in its tracks. We are very fortunate the fire didn’t damage the church grounds.
“We have reached out to our parishioners to see what response they can give,” he said, and they have “opened their hearts and their homes” to help those in need.
Because the church was downwind from the blaze, the parish’s Holy Grounds Coffee House was opened to provide shelter for the displaced residents.
Fortunately, the coffee shop’s coordinator, Hannah Powell, saw the fire as she was driving by Friday evening.
Powell quickly opened the parish’s community space to the public. Hanley and her roommate Gabby Garofalo helped shepherd people inside, where parishioners offered them coffee, water, and blankets.
“I was touched by the parishioners who heard about what happened and showed up to help,” said Powell.
The fire was finally put out in the early hours of Saturday morning. Before closing Holy Grounds, parish staff and volunteers made sure that no one was homeless. Father To said parishioners have taken in victims of the fire.
“Parishioners have responded wonderfully,” he said. “We continue to open our doors, not just for parishioners, but the whole community.”
Residents will be able to start retrieving items from their apartments later in the week, but for residents with apartments on the south side of the building, almost everything was destroyed by the fire.
“We are at peace,” said St. Patrick’s receptionist Carmen Archer, whose apartment was burned by the fire. “Things can be replaced, but keepsakes are harder.”
The parish has a webpage with information about the fire with links to help the parish coordinate financial aid and help find displaced people somewhere to stay. Visit stpatricksmapleridge.ca for more information.
