Yea–Alexandra parish is mourning the loss of one of its churches, Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Church in Caveat, which was destroyed by the bushfires that have torn through parts of Victoria. Source: Melbourne Catholic.
As of yesterday, VIC Emergency has advised that the areas of Alexandra, Yea, Tarcombe, Ruffy, Longwood East, Yarck, Eildon and surrounds remain under a Watch and Act message, with a bushfire in Longwood yet to be brought under control.
“On Sunday we wondered if the church and the whole area was still standing after the bushfire,” Yea–Alexander parish priest Fr Jose Mathew said.
The church had burnt down, with only the cross and the bell tower still standing.
Fr Mathew says one of their parishioners lives opposite the church and was already at the Seymour relief centre by the time the parish was able to speak with her.
“‘They had already evacuated the whole area. She said her home was safe but all the sheds, paddocks and farms – everything had burnt. Everything was lost.
“She said across the road, the vineyards, farms and houses had burnt down, including the church. But it was confirmed last night when one of our parishioners had a friend up there and they sent us a picture. The church had burnt down, with only the cross and the bell tower still standing.”
As news of the parish’s loss came to light, Melbourne Archbishop Peter A Comensoli sent locals a message of support.
“We hold in our prayers the people of Caveat, and the wider parish community of Yea–Alexandra, as we grieve the loss of the church of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows in the recent fires,” Archbishop Comensoli said.
“This humble church, built by faith-filled families and sustained by generations of prayer, was far more than a building. It was a place of hope, memory and encounter with God.”
He said the stark image of the remaining crucifix and bell tower are the “final visible signs of a community shaped by faith”.
“They call us anew to trust in Christ, who remains present even when all else is stripped away, and to our hope that rises from the cross.”
FULL STORY
Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Church ravaged by Victorian bushfires (Melbourne Catholic)
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