This morning the parish church of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Perth Amboy, New Jersey was destroyed by fire. First, we all request your prayers for the people of the parish, our diocese, and the entire Church as we face the days ahead. May our dear Lord console our grief and give us the grace of His strength.
The beauty of our Holy Polish National Catholic Church is clearly evident in the story below from MyCentralJersey. It is our central focus on faith in Jesus Christ Who saves and strengthens us, Who provides for us and leads us to overcome every obstacle or challenge.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It too is a Church of the people, of the humanity and nations Christ has redeemed. We are the Church that respects, honors, and enshrines every person’s self determination in our democratic tradition. We are a Church organized by immigrants that continues to offer a home to immigrants – not as subjects – but as human beings. Our Holy Church is our home, where the traditions of Poles, Czechs, Lithuanians, Peruvians, Mexicans, and people of every culture are not just kept – as if on on shelf – but are lived and expressed in the ways we worship our Lord.
Bendicenos en cada hora Senor de los Milagros, en nuestras enfermedades y pobrezas, en nuestras pruebas y desolaciones, en nuestors quebrantos e infortunios, escucha nuestra voz, atiende nuestras plegarias, acude pronto en favor de nosotros, de nuestras familias y de nuestros intereses temporales y eternos. En Ti confiamos Senor de los Milagros y de tu misericordia infinita, esperamos alcanzar el remedio en nuestras necesidades.
Padrenuestro, Avemaria con la jaculatoria; Senor de los Milagros, en Ti confiamos.
Bless us at our every hour Lord of Miracles, in our sickness and poverty, in desolation and in the times we are tested, in our losses and misfortunes, hear our voice, hear our prayers; speed Your aid to us, to our families, and help us in our daily and eternal needs. In You, Lord of Miracles we trust, and place our faith in Your infinite mercy; we know that You will hear us in our every need.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and pray: Lord of Miracles, we trust in You!
PERTH AMBOY — Hours after an early morning fire destroyed Saints Cyril & Methodius National Catholic Church, the pastor and some members vowed to rebuild the 598 Jacques St. church.
And they will be looking to other towns with Peruvian communities to assist them.
“We want the Peruvian community to join forces. We need help from them and other Peruvian communities to rebuild,” said Andres Sanchez of Perth Amboy, adding both Paterson and Elizabeth have large Peruvian communities. “We ask for help from our Peruvian community to rebuild the house of the Senor del los Milagros in Perth Amboy.”
The church housed a replica of the Senor de los Milagos, an image of Jesus Christ on the crucifix, also known as the Lord of Miracles considered sacred in Peru. Members stood outside the charred remains to see if the image survived the flames.
Sanchez, a two-year church member, said the destruction of the church by fire is “a big tragedy.”
The Rev. Mariusz Zochowski, church pastor who refers to himself at “Father Mario,” said the church is it’s people, and he believes it will be rebuilt. The church with Polish origins, now has a large Peruvian membership.
“If anyone has the desire to help us rebuild the church it would be greatly appreciated,” said Zochowski said.
For Luis Silva, 23, Saints Cyril & Methodius National Catholic Church, is like a second home.
“It means everything to me. To see it in ruins breaks me apart,” said Silva who attended Sunday services at the church hours before a fire destroyed the wood-frame 1920s era church.
Silva, a member for more than six years, said the church is a place where he feels safe.
“Religion to me is very important. It’s most of what I’ve known since a child,” said Silva who was among a group of church members who came out to the early Monday morning fire scene to see firefighters work to extinguish the flames.
As he returned in the late morning, so did the heartbreaking feeling.
Like many of the church members Silva was interested in learning whether a replica of the Senor de los Milagros, had survived. Fire Chief Abraham Pitre, however, said the image is believed to have been destroyed by the flames.
Salvaging religious items
Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz has asked the fire department to salvage any religious artifacts, including the stained glass windows.
“I want them to be careful and preserve any artifacts that survived this fire,” Diaz said.
Sanchez said the church contained religious artifacts associated with the saint. Pitre said many religious items were recovered, but not the image.
“But of the most value is our faith,” said Sanchez, who learned of the fire early Monday morning from a relative.
Two crosses did survive the fire. One, heavily charred is seen still hanging on the church wall, while another cross located on the cupola fell and now is perched inside the church.
Sanchez said October marks the celebration of the saint Senor de los Milagros and every year in September church members parade the image through the Jacques Street neighborhood in celebration of the Lord of Miracles. Diaz said people from Peru have traveled to Perth Amboy to participate in the procession.
According to Sanchez, a slave from Peru painted the original image and when an earthquake destroyed nearly everything in the church, the image survived.
Sanchez said the church has members who come from as far as New York. He said a lot of people come to the Perth Amboy church to see the image of Senor de los Milagros. Diaz said people from Peru have traveled to Perth Amboy to participate in the procession.
“Today is the last day they do the procession in Peru,” said Diaz, who saw church members crying in the early morning hours as they watched the church burn. “People just cried and cried. It was so sad. It broke my heart. It’s a miracle the buildings around here did not catch fire.”
Three towns assist Perth Amboy in fighting fire
Pitre said firefighters were dispatched to the church around 12:52 a.m. after a passerby walking in the area noticed smoke and fire along the roof and then saw fire inside the church.
When police and firefighters arrived, there was fire burning along the roof. Pitre said the fire spread throughout the corner lot church building. The cause it under investigation, but may never be known due to the amount of damage, Pitre said.
Diaz said the heat and fire was so intense the walls were buckling and shaking.
Firefighters worked to prevent the fire from spreading to the homes behind the wood-frame church on Jeffries Street or to the rectory next door at 600 Jacques Street.
“We tried to keep it contained to the church,” Pitre said.
Firefighters from Perth Amboy, Woodbridge, Colonia, Iselin, Fords, Sayreville, Metuchen and Avenel helped fight the fire and cover the rest of the city. It took about 90 minutes to get the fire under control. No one was in the church. No injuries were reported.
“The church is a total loss,” he said. “There are still some pockets of fire in the front of the church that are still burning. Due to the fact the church is in danger of collapsing we’re waiting for the insurance company to come to order an emergency demolition to further extinguish it.”
Anna Zimmie, a 100-year-old member of the congregation of the Providence of God Lithuanian National Catholic Church in Scranton, began her life as one of the first children baptized within its walls. Her daughter, Dolores Krupski, said the church has been a “big part” of both of their lives.
