Ceiling collapses at church; none are injured

Slideshow of photos taken of the damage, courtesy Marge Carr:

Darlington collapse (PDF document, 1.1MB)

DARLINGTON -- A portion of the ceiling at Holy Rosary Church collapsed in the afternoon on July 21, creating minor damage and hours of cleanup.

"There were a few people in the church, but they were in a different part at the time," said Fr. Randy Budnar, pastor of the parish. "They were just surprised."

About 60 volunteers from the parish organized at 6 p.m. that evening, only four and a half hours after the collapse, to clean up the dust, insulation, and pieces of ceiling that had fallen around the sanctuary and nave. The church was clean by 10:30 p.m., though more dust is expected to settle. Daily Mass was celebrated as usual on Tuesday.

Among the damages noted were: significant damage to the altar and the cross, a few marks on the lectern, a few small holes in one stained-glass window, and some damage to the floor.

“This is an easy one; this is simple,” said Robert O’Hara of Catholic Mutual Group, comparing the extent of the damage with the recent collapse at St. Patrick School, Janesville, due to rain. Catholic Mutual Group is the self-insurance arm of Catholic Church of North America, providing self-insurance programs to 120 of the 180 dioceses in the United States, as well as risk-management services.

Though no investigation into the cause of the collapse has yet been done, with years of experience with events such as this O’Hara said it appears that a leak at one time might have led to a weakened structure.

Holy Rosary Church, which was built in 1868, had been significantly renovated in 2000. During the renovation of the church, a new altar, tabernacle tower, cross, and ambo were built, and the Stations of the Cross were repainted. The plaster walls behind the altar were taken down, exposing two stained-glass windows and Darlington-area “blue rock” stone walls. Much of the work had been done by parishioners and local businesses.

Funeral for father of deacon to be held July 18

BELOIT -- The father of Deacon Jim Davis, Oliver J. Davis, died Monday, July 14.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 18, at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Beloit. Fr. Gary Krahenbuhl will be officiating.

Interment will be at the Mt. Thabor Mausoleum in Beloit. Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 17, at the Daley Murphy Wisch & Associates Funeral Home, 2355 Cranston Rd., Beloit, with a Scripture service at 5 p.m.

Cards can be sent to: Deacon Jim and Judy Davis, 728 E. Waterford Dr., Beloit, WI 53511

Spiritual gift for Bishop Morlino's anniversary

August 1 marks the fifth anniversary of Bishop Robert C. Morlino's installation as Bishop of Madison.

People in the diocese are invited to sign the message below. Accompanying this message will be a gift presented to the bishop in the name of all the signers.

Dear Bishop Morlino:
Congratulations on your fifth anniversary as our Bishop! Thank you for answering the Holy Father's call to come to Madison. We want you to know of our esteem, affection, and support.

People interested in signing this message should send their name, parish, and city by e-mail to: Cathedral@straphael.org or by mail to: St. Patrick Church, ATTN: Bishop's Anniversary, 404 E. Main St., Madison, WI 53703.

If they wish, people may add a personal message and/or a spiritual gift such as prayers, Masses, Rosaries, Communions, or charitable works.