New Consecration For Long Island Church Following Extensive Post-Sandy Repairs
LONG BEACH, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A Roman Catholic Church on Long Island was being rededicated this week, after extensive repairs to damage caused by Superstorm Sandy.
As 1010 WINS' Carol D'Auria reported Wednesday, the outside of St. Mary of the Isle Church on East Walnut Street in Long Beach looks the same, but the inside is all new, and so that is why the church is being consecrated, or blessed, by the bishop.
New Consecration For Long Island Church After Extensive Post-Sandy Repairs
The pastor, the Rev. Brian Barr, said just like people's houses, Sandy trashed St. Mary's.
"Probably about a foot and a half of water, so it came in through the front doors, the side doors, right up to the altar, and the altar was shot," he said. "The floor had to come up."
St. Mary's is in the center of Long Beach, and counts about 1,000 families as parishioners. Barr said while rebuilding the physical church has been a challenge financially, he said even tougher has been the process of rebuilding people's belief in the church.
Barr said "the challenge down here of getting a solid youth group going; reaching out to families" is something he is working on.
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