Praying for Plum Borough in the wake of deadly home explosion
PLUM BOROUGH, PA (KDKA) - With so many questions still unanswered about the home explosion in the Rustic Ridge neighborhood in Plum Borough, a local Catholic church is opening its doors for 12 hours on Monday, and people are able to stop in the church to find peace in this tragedy.
"The community is absolutely gutted, heartbroken," said Jenny Collier, a parishioner of St. Januarius Catholic Church in Plum Borough.
There's an empty space in the hearts of people who live in the borough. Five people lost their lives when three homes on Rustic Ridge Drive turned to rubble in an explosion Saturday morning.
"We sort of realized that it's impossible to make sense of such a tragedy and there are different ways to show our support for the community," Collier said.
A few miles from the devastating scene, St. Januarius Catholic Church of the Holy Family Parish is welcoming people to take a seat in the pews and reflect on the tragic day.
The church on Renton Road opened its doors at 6 a.m. Monday and will remain open until 6 p.m.
"We are spending 12 hours with a continuous prayer vigil. We are having eucharistic adoration all day long," Collier said.
Collier told KDKA-TV she knew some of the victims who were members of the parish.
"Some of the parishioners were among the victims. It's very difficult for us as a parish family. We are doing everything that we can to support them with our love, our prayers. It is senseless. We are heartbroken but we put our faith and our hope in God," she said.
Another parishioner who lives in the Rustic Ridge housing development told KDKA-TV that coming to the church was the least she could do. It's an opportunity to take some time to pray for the neighborhood, the lives lost, those with damaged homes, first responders and the community's safety.
Holy Family Parish is also inviting the community to St. John the Baptist Church on Tuesday night for an hour-long prayer vigil at 7:30 p.m.
"We're hoping to pack the church as many people from Plum as we can," Collier said.
This is just one of many ways the Plum community is wrapping its arms around the Rustic Ridge neighborhood as everyone tries to come to terms with the tragedy.
"Plum has really turned out with food and water donations, you name it, but we need support each other spiritually and also with as much love as we can," said Collier.
