Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Dec 1, 2016 / 11:44 am (Aid to the Church in Need).- As devastating wildfires continue to burn in East Tennessee, a startling discovery was made.
This statue of Jesus was the only thing left standing in a house burned by the Tennessee wildfires https://t.co/1El3FQqhJm pic.twitter.com/65JrtUdXeE
— CNN (@CNN) December 1, 2016
On Thursday, CNN said that one of its affiliate reporters had found a statue of Jesus in the remains of a burnt-down house in Sevier County. The statue was the only thing standing amid the rubble.
Earlier in the week, Dollywood theme park employee Isaac McCord found a page from Scripture that had survived the flames.
In a Facebook post, he said that he found the page from the Bible while helping clean part of the theme park.
Several verses from the book of Joel are visible on the burnt page, including, “To you, LORD, I call, for fire has devoured the pastures in the wilderness and flames have burned up all the trees of the field.”
Since it began last week, the Gatlinburg, Tennessee fire near Great Smoky Mountains National Park has burned an estimated 17,000 acres, damaging hundreds of homes and businesses. At least 7 deaths have been confirmed, with more than 70 injured and numerous other people missing.
Strong wind gusts and lightning storms have added to the fire, making the flames difficult to fight. On the morning of Dec. 1, the fire was only 10 percent contained.
The exact cause of the fire is still being investigated, with arson being a possibility.
Bishop Richard F. Stika of Knoxville is offering prayers for the fire’s victims, while Catholic Charities of East Tennessee is providing aid to those who have lost their homes.
Article Archive
This lone Jesus statue survived the Tennessee wildfires
Related Articles • More Articles
St. Stanislaus of Szczepanów is depicted as the patron saint of Poland in a miniature painted by Stanislaw Samostrzelnik of Mogila. / Credit: Polona Digital Library|Wikimedia|PD-ArtWashington, D.C. Newsroom, May 8, 2024 / 16:53 pm (CNA).Pope Francis during his Wednesday general audience invoked the intercession of St. Stanislaus, patron saint of Poland, for peace in Ukraine and Israel.Addressing Polish pilgrims in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, the pope said: "Today you celebrate the solemnity of St. Stanislaus, bishop and martyr, patron of your homeland.""St. John Paul II wrote of him," Francis went on, "that from high in heaven, he shared in the sufferings and hopes of your nation, sustaining its survival, especially during the Second World War."Francis prayed that the intercession of St. Stanislaus "obtain, even today, the gift of peace in Europe and throughout the world, especially in Ukraine and the Middle East."What does Poland have to do with these wars? This co...
null / Credit: ShutterstockCNA Staff, May 8, 2024 / 17:23 pm (CNA).A trio of Catholic radio networks has filed a petition against the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over new requirements that will soon mandate that all U.S. radio and television stations publish information about the race and gender of their employees.In a 3-2 ruling in February, the commissioners of the FCC reinstated a requirement that radio stations must annually file a document, known as Form 395-B, that lists the race and gender of their employees.The FCC governs radio stations transmitting on AM or FM frequencies, satellite radio and TV stations, cable networks, and broadcast TV stations. These entities are required to maintain a summary of publicly accessible information known as a public file, with varying requirements among the types of stations regarding what must be contained in the file.The FCC had not required Form 395-B since 2004, following a 2001 ruling by t...
Servant of God Nino Baglieri. / Credit: ANS/SalesiansACI Prensa Staff, May 8, 2024 / 17:53 pm (CNA).The diocesan phase of the cause of beatification of the Servant of God Nino Baglieri has been closed in Modica, a town in southern Sicily. Overcoming his bitterness due to his quadriplegic condition, Baglieri gave himself to the mission of evangelizing through the means available to him. The closing of the diocesan phase, according to the Salesian News Agency, took place on Sunday, May 5, in Mother of St. Peter church, where a solemn Eucharist was celebrated by Salvatore Rumeo, the bishop of Noto. In his homily, the prelate related that on May 5, 1951, Baglieri received baptism, "becoming a Christian."Regarding the servant of God, he emphasized that "prayer for Nino was everything: Despite his suffering, like a light that shines and burns, he managed to infect others with the meaning of true prayer."Addressing the servant of God in prayer, Rumeo said: "We are grateful t...