VERO BEACH | Father Tom Barrett, pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Vero Beach, was in the rectory Oct. 9, 2024, when a tornado spawned by Hurricane Milton tore through the North Hutchinson Island community where the church is located.
What he called “deafening noise and extremely high winds” left their mark on the parish with significant damage to the church building, which is closed until repairs can be made.
“We have a number of holes in the roof of the church,” Father Barrett said. “There was water damage inside the church. We have to replace the roof totally, and we’ll probably have to replace pews, flooring and who knows what else.”
The hurricane was minor on Florida’s east coast in comparison to the destruction and deaths caused by the more than 45 tornadoes that struck the state in the afternoon and early evening. Many residents of the counties that comprise the Diocese of Palm Beach (Palm Beach, Martin, Okeechobee, St. Lucie and Indian River) are working to get their lives back to normal, dealing with varying degrees of loss and damage to their properties. Father Barrett had words of encouragement for them.
“The first message I would have is that, as a faith community, we are praying for all those who have been affected and all those who have experienced loss and pain and suffering,” he said. “They are all in our prayers, first and foremost. We are up and running, if you will, and available for any help and assistance that might be needed. Certainly, we have our normal liturgy schedule on the weekends, and all are welcome to come in and join us.”
For now, the sacraments of the Eucharist and penance at Holy Cross are being celebrated in the parish hall, which can seat about 450 people.
Father Barrett hopes insurance will cover the cost of the church roof, “but they’re evaluating everything now, so it’ll take a while to determine what they’re going to cover and what we need to do and that sort of thing.”
“I presume the roof is going to be in the range of half a million dollars, just based on the cost of the last time they replaced it, and adding a little bit to it. Then the tree removal and clean-up and pews, so we’re looking probably in the millions of dollars,” he said.
It’s nearly impossible at this point to know when the church will be fully ready to reopen, Father Barrett added. That depends on the roofing contractor and the availability of materials, which are in high demand across Florida and the Southeast because of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. In all likelihood, they’re looking at months before the church is repaired.
In a message on the Holy Cross website, Father Barrett thanked those who contributed to a recent capital campaign to protect the church’s stained-glass windows. “If that project had not been completed, we would have certainly lost our beautiful stained glass and much more during this storm.”
But with a strong sense of community, resilient spirit and generosity that are evident in the area, Holy Cross will rebound as fast as possible.
“We do need prayers,” Father Barrett said, “but we’re working with the Diocese of Palm Beach and coordinating with them and with the insurance carrier. We’re not able to bring volunteers on campus to do manual labor and work and things like that for reasons of liability, but we are very appreciative of all the offers of help and assistance and care and concern that people continue to bring to us.”
To keep updated on progress at Holy Cross in Vero Beach, visit https://holycrossverobeach.org/ or connect on Facebook. Call the parish office at 772-231-0671.
