- Feb 5, 2002
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A rural Oklahoma parish hit this week by a powerful tornado suffered serious damage, especially to its parish hall. But amid the rubble, broken glass, and winds possibly as high as 175 mph, the church’s tabernacle containing the body of Christ remained intact.
Father Emmanuel Nduka, who pastors three local churches including St. Mary’s, told CNA that the tabernacle’s survival served as a sign of God’s presence amid the devastation in the small Oklahoma town of Barnsdall.
“God is in control. There’s no reason why our church should be standing after what happened in Barnsdall Sunday night,” the priest told CNA.
Nduka lives in a neighboring town 30 minutes from Barnsdall, but early on May 7, as soon as he heard about the damage to the church, he raced over. No one was in the church building at the time of the tornado; the stone structure of the church building itself survived, while the parish hall next door was “completely leveled.”
Continued below.
Father Emmanuel Nduka, who pastors three local churches including St. Mary’s, told CNA that the tabernacle’s survival served as a sign of God’s presence amid the devastation in the small Oklahoma town of Barnsdall.
“God is in control. There’s no reason why our church should be standing after what happened in Barnsdall Sunday night,” the priest told CNA.
Nduka lives in a neighboring town 30 minutes from Barnsdall, but early on May 7, as soon as he heard about the damage to the church, he raced over. No one was in the church building at the time of the tornado; the stone structure of the church building itself survived, while the parish hall next door was “completely leveled.”
Continued below.
Tabernacle untouched at Oklahoma parish hit by powerful tornado
Father Emmanuel Nduka, who pastors three local churches including St. Mary’s, told CNA that the tabernacle’s survival served as a sign of God’s presence.