FORT MADISON – An iconic part of the Fort Madison landscape is under a thorough inspection after being closed due to storm damage.
The Ss. Mary and Joseph Catholic Church on Avenue E has been closed to parishioners out of an abundance of caution and safety for everyone involved in the Fort Madison Catholic community.
According to Anita Helling, the church’s business manager, the entire church is being inspected following a collapse of a small spire during the June 30 derecho that swept through Lee County.
Helling said there isn’t a lot of information to be made public, but updates are provided weekly to the congregation who is now holding services at Sacred Heart.
“The church has been closed out of caution and safety,” Helling said. “Our engineering firm suggested that ,and our insurance company is going to be cautious. Out of utmost caution and safety we need to be proactive and make sure we keep everyone safe.”
Helling said there are no cost estimates for any potential remediation and the inspections are still underway.
“The June 30th storm caused one of our small spires to come down. The Diocese has recommended an inspection of the entire church and this will be a long process. We have removed the top portions of areas that have been compromised,” she said.
“But the entire church is being inspected. The process now is just a waiting game.”
Both the Sacred Heart church and Ss Mary and Joseph were both built in the 1800s. The church on Avenue E is the older church.
Helling said the high winds are detrimental to high spires on older churches.
“I don’t see our weather patterns changing, either. There’s going to be more and you just don’t realize how damaging they are.”
She said about a month ago a church spire in Connecticut just crashed to the ground.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here