In the early morning of Feb. 17, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge burned, damaging a longtime community staple. But while the church stands charred and broken, the St. Luke’s community’s spirit remains strong. 

The fire, the cause of which remains undetermined, damaged only the church, leaving St. Luke’s Episcopal School unscathed. Now, Sunday church service and weekly chapel are held in the school gym.

Students of all ages have decorated the gym, painting colorful banners to help make it more fitting for worship services. Plates of teal, red, purple, pink, green and many other colored paints were provided for students to help with the decorations. The banners were lined with tape, creating triangles, trapezoids and more. Additionally, new faux stained glass windows were painted and installed to replace what was lost. 

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Dana Bannerman, a former St. Luke’s Middle School administrator, a member of the St. Luke’s board, head of the school’s grandparents’ guild the Golden Sharks and a grandmother to a pair of St. Luke’s twins provided insight on how the church and school are faring after the fire. 

The first person to tell her what had happened that night was her friend. Bannerman said that “it was hard to believe.” Later that day, she and her husband went to visit the “surreal” scene: the burn site. 

“Initially the students were in disbelief also, but the teachers and staff quickly moved in to try to make things as normal as possible. Clergy and teachers were available to the students for counseling and discussion,” Bannerman said.

Recovering from the fire wasn’t without its challenges. 

“Some of the classes have had to be moved due to a lack of electricity, but everyone is being as flexible as possible,” Bannerman said.

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The return to a sense of normalcy would not have been possible if it weren’t for the 12 fire stations that responded to fire, which is why the Golden Sharks, the grandparents guild of the church, baked treats for the firefighters and delivered handmade cards from the students. Later, the student council collected treats for the fire stations and created gift baskets to donate. The community also paid for some meals for the first responders.

“St. Luke’s community has a chance to feel good about providing this and to show our appreciation for all who put their lives on the line for us,” Bannerman said. 

The fire hasn’t stopped the St. Luke’s community from practicing or from thriving. “I see the strength and resiliency of the entire St. Luke’s community and also the outpouring of help and love from the surrounding communities,” Bannerman said. “All of this gives me the desire to help as much as I can and the belief that St. Luke’s will come back stronger than ever.”

According to Bannerman, despite how “devastating and heartbreaking” the effects of the fire have been, the community and many others have come together in response to a tragedy. 

“Sometimes it takes a disaster in order to renew your faith in your fellow human beings.”