State Council News

BASTROP FIRE SPECIAL

Posted Sep 16, 2011
by Mark


By Chet Dombrowski, Ascension Bastrop Council 14943

Imagine the position of Fr. Rafael Padilla.  He had just assumed his new duties as Pastor of Ascension Catholic Church on Wednesday, September 1st.  He conducted his first masses at his new pastorate on Saturday and Sunday September 3rd and 4th introducing himself to the parishioners.

imageBishop Joe Vasquez of Austin helps unload donated goods
From left, Financial Sec. Lee Butler, Don Frazier, Past Grand Knight Thad Mance, and Grand Knight Len Brinkman of Council 9151 in Wimberley, TX present a donation of $10,000 to Grand Knight Chet Dombrowski and Warren Pedersen of Ascension Council 14943
A portion of the water donations at Ascension Catholic Church

Sunday was as nice a day as it could be when the area is locked in an exceptional drought.  It was hot as all the recent days had been.  But there was a brisk wind blowing; a remnant from Hurricane Lee which had turned northeast ravaging the eastern states.  Our local meteorologists were concerned about this wind.  It brought with it low humidity and the drought had dried the earth, trees, and bushes to tinder quality.  They were concerned that a spark of any kind could bring about a catastrophic brush fire. 

Bastrop County is home to the “Lost Pines of Texas;” a stand of Loblolly pines that are present only in the piney woods of east Texas and Bastrop County.  The conditions for a catastrophe were present; low humidity, high winds (25-33 mph), and drought affected grasses, bushes, and trees.

The fire began in the Circle D subdivision near the intersection of highways 1441 and 21.  At this time the cause is still undetermined.  It spread rapidly and merged with another fire that had begun near Hwy. 290 to the east.  District Deputy Lee Mobley lives in Circle D and was given an order to evacuate immediately.  Lee and his wife Martha packed some clothes and left their home within 15 minutes with the fire bearing down on their home.  They would lose everything there including family pictures and memorabilia from a long career in the U.S. Navy as a Chief Petty Officer.  Brother Knight Marc Flores also lived close to the starting point of the fire and he had practically no time at all to evacuate.  He and his family are safe with relatives in the area but they too have lost their home.

The Response
Fr. Padilla recognized what was happening and that there would be people who would need shelter.  He opened the doors of Ascension Parish to evacuees.  The knights of Ascension Bastrop Council 14943 mobilized and organized work shifts of volunteers to manage the evacuees.  The work became hectic but the knights managed to set up the parish hall and education building to accommodate the evacuees that were arriving.  Soon the donations started to arrive.  The Diocese of Austin sent a truck filled with bottled water, cots, pillows, and blankets.
Donations of clothes came and the knights set up a tent cover with tables where the clothes could be sorted and stacked.  Restaurants and other parishes began to donate food and volunteer to provide meals.  There were food donations from as far away as San Antonio and Austin.  Double Dave’s Pizza, which had just recently opened in Bastrop, brought stacks of pizzas and the local KFC provided individual meals the first day.  A large screen TV was brought in and set up so the people could get news of the fire.  Monetary donations came from all over the state and our brother knights in other councils donated funds to assist the operations in any manner.  As we all know from the news concerning the fire, Bastrop received all kinds of assistance from throughout the state and country.  It is not possible to list all of the emergency services that arrived or the donations that were made to our council or the parish.  Without the help of our fellow Americans the task at hand would have been impossible.  The Lord had moved the hearts of everybody to pitch in and help.

The Stories
As one could imagine there are many stories involved with this catastrophe.  They are all involved with loss; the loss of homes, contents, and memories.  But there is no story that is sadder than that of the family of Brandon Leyva.  Brandon was 4 years old and was dying of cancer.  The family had no insurance and the expenses of a funeral were weighing on their hearts.  Once again the Lord moved the hearts of the people to help this family.  A casket was donated and the knights started passing a donation jar to help with the funeral expenses.  In a matter of 5 hours enough funds had been collected to pay for the funeral.  Charity is the first principle of the Knights of Columbus and it was demonstrated in this case. 

Ascension Parish Evacuation Center
The Ascension Parish Evacuation Center continued to operate throughout the week taking in evacuees and feeding them.  Other services were available such as legal counsel, various relief services, and grief counseling.  The Southern Convention of the Baptist Church brought a trailer with showers and a washer and dryer.  Donations of all kinds came from everywhere; so much so that they had to be diverted to other collections sites.  Kennels were set up to house pets until they could be moved to more suitable sites in area kennels.  Bishop Joe Vasquez continued to send donations to the church and at one point arrived with some mini-vans filled with water, pillows, etc.  He pitched right in and helped unload the vans.  The Ascension Evacuation Center was the first to come on line and was the smallest.  As larger sites became available operations at Ascension decreased until it was finally closed on Saturday afternoon with the evacuees being transferred to larger centers.  It was a welcome relief for the knights and parish volunteers who were exhausted from the experience.

Donations
The first principle of the Knights of Columbus is Charity and it was being demonstrated all through this event.  KofC councils throughout the state were calling and volunteering manpower, supplies, and monetary donations.  The monetary donations were most welcome because the parish would be in need of funding to cover the costs of operation.  In addition, 6 brother knights had lost their homes and there was a strong desire to help them as well as the 65 parishioners who had also lost their homes.  The generosity of our fellow knights cannot be over stated.  As of this writing donations totaling $15,950 have been received including $10,000 from Council 9151 in Wimberley.  Telephone calls from other councils have indicated that more is on the way.  We thank the Lord for moving these councils to provide the help that is needed.  All of these funds will go to support, in some measure, our brother knights, the parishioners who have lost their homes, and the Ascension Parish. 

Prologue
This newsletter began with the request that you consider the position of Fr. Padilla.  Fr. Padilla showed exceptional leadership and care for people who were in need.  Shortly after celebrating his first masses at Ascension and meeting the parishioners he stepped forward and opened the facilities of the church to the evacuees.  He was active all week circulating throughout the buildings and helping to unload trucks with donations.  His presence was very helpful; a beacon of light in the night.  Not only was he faced with the drama of helping evacuees but he also conducted a funeral mass for a 4 year old boy.  Then, he learned that his father was very seriously ill in Mexico and, as the evacuation center closed down, he left to be at his father’s side.  The Lord sent us a great pastor and we all need to pray for him and his father.  It is often said that times make the man and these times have certainly shown the mettle of this wonderful priest.

The aftermath of this tragedy will continue for some time and it will take this community a good period of time to recover.  It has been heartening to see fire equipment from other states and firefighters showing up and volunteering to help.  The sense of community and unity has been strengthened in Bastrop and will continue throughout the coming days.  It has been particularly heartening to see the handmade signs throughout our city simply stating “Pray.”

Speaking to the knights of Ascension Council 14943, I express my pride and thanks for all your work.  It wouldn’t have happened without you.  Let us all bow our heads and thank the Lord for His guidance through the entire event.

A message from State Deputy Tony Herreth

The State Council Charities has established a Wildfire Fund which will be used as a result of the fires anywhere in Texas.  Any council who wishes to contribute should mail check to:
State Council Charities
“Wildfire Fund”
6633 Highway 290 East
Suite 204
Austin, TX 78723-1157
The Charities Board recently voted to allocate $10,000 to this fund.  Fire victims can receive $200 gift cards to help with immediate needs. If they need more, an application can be completed.  All funds for this emergency will be distributed first to KC’s, then to parishes and other Catholics.
Thanks to the Wimberly Council for donating $10000 to the Bastrop Council.