Congregation Rallies Following Fire
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Poplar was destroyed by fire in the early morning hours of Aug. 25. Volunteer fire departments from Poplar and Culbertson responded and put out the blaze, with no casualties or injuries reported. The cause is under investigation.
According to a press release from the Poplar Volunteer Fire Department, the first engine crew at the scene of the fire was called out a little after 2 a.m. and immediately made an interior entry to the structure to assess the situation. They then located and put out flames in the center of the main church space before backing out of the structure. Firefighters made another entry to locate the source of the fire and discovered that it had moved into the ceiling and rafters and had spread throughout the structure. Firefighters then backed out and refocused their efforts on protecting the perimeter of the scene. Mike Olson said the Culbertson Volunteer Fire Department got a call for mutual aid at 3:30 a.m. “We made it home around 7 p.m.,” Olson said. “I would say the church section was pretty much all engulfed in flames by the time we got there.”
Bishop Jeffrey Fleming with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Great Falls-Billings spoke to NPI Monday, Aug. 31. Fleming attended Sunday services with parish members at the Poplar Cultural Center, with parish priest Father Anie Akama presiding.
“I’m guessing there were 100 to 120 people there,” Fleming said, “which is many more than usually would be at mass on a Sunday from what I understand.”
Fleming said the parish intends to rebuild, despite some irreplaceable losses. “The fire destroyed original paintings and stained glass windows cherished by the congregation. The structure was declared a 100 percent total loss.,” Fleming said.
Fleming said the Sunday service was, “a good chance for us all to get together and also to remember that ultimately a church is its people and they are the living stones. Those are stones that won’t be destroyed by fire.”
Some important church property was recovered, according to Fleming. “Our records in the parish offices also survived,” said Fleming. “I think the office space is going to be a total loss too. But our records were in a fire safe file cabinet.”
The parish’s history dates to 1925 when the former white church was built, according to parish historian Richard Peterson. The old white church was finally demolished in 1973, following the dedication of the new Our Lady of Lourdes on May 10, 1968.
Parish leader Val Gorder said the congregation is committed to continuing to serve the community.
“The fire was devastating,” Gorder said. “Although the building has been burnt, the memories we all have are strong, will shine bright and unify us. Our foundation as a people has not been broken. As our Bishop has told us, we will rebuild. It will be our children and grandchildren that lead us in making new memories in a new building. It is the people that make a church and we are all still standing. This will not beat us. [...] We are not yet certain where our next Sunday mass will be held, but we are working on different scenarios. Please know, we are still here and will continue to serve you in every possible way.”
Parishioners looking for more information are encouraged to reach out to Father Anie Akama in Poplar at 406-768-3305.
