An apparent act of God struck St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church last week, causing the iconic steeple cross to be removed Friday.
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Early morning thunderstorms that rolled through the area last Friday sent a bolt of lightning into the stainless steel cross and through the wooden beams that connect to the main church building. The beams were damaged, according to Rev. Michael DiIorio, and too expensive to replace.
After being reviewed by firefighters from the Tullytown Fire Company and building experts using drones, it was determined the cross and wood beams should be removed after a cracked crossbeam was discovered.
On Friday, contractors used a giant crane to remove the cross and worked to take down the wood beams.
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DiIorio said it was determined the stainless steel cross would be placed in a garden at the front of the Tullytown parish just off Levittown Parkway. By Friday afternoon, the cross was already in place outside the worship hall.
“We wanted to preserve that cross because it’s iconic here in Levittown,” DiIorio told LevittownNow.com. “I know people like to use it as a point of prayer in the community.”
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“Not one day will go by without the cross being there,” he added.
The iconic cross has been mounted to the top of the church since it was built 1965, about 12 years after the parish was formed.
DiIorio said the church avoided damage from the lightning strike because the cross and its base were not part of the structure. They were bolted on after the main part of construction was finished.
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The pastor said thankfully the new roof of the church was undamaged. After Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the church had a new roof put in place due to damage.
When asked whether insurance would pay for the work to remove the cross and large beams, DiIorio responded with a chuckle: “I sure hope so!”
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
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