Parishioners turn flooding tragedy into blessing three years later

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Father James Puthenparambil

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April 16, 2012 began with rain. As the day progressed, it kept raining. And then it rained some more. Today, parishioners at Immaculate Conception Church in Gregory call it “The Great Flood.”

“It was a week after Easter and the church was still decorated with Easter lilies. All the major parish buildings were completely flooded,” recalled David Solis, director of religious education at Immaculate Conception. “We had at least one-and-a-half feet of water inside the church, parish hall, parish office and St. Vincent de Paul Building. Basically, there was water everywhere.”

Solis said the parish secretary had a large truck that was able to navigate the flash flood waters, which had devastated the entire community of Gregory. She called Deacon Juan Gomez to inspect the church, since both priests at the time were out of town.

“Deacon had a small car, but needed to survey the damage,” Solis recalled. “Next thing we see is Deacon Gomez coming down the road in a canoe. There are just some images you can’t erase from your mind and that would be one of them!”

The pastor at the time, Father Raju Thottankara, with the blessing of Bishop Michael Mulvey, decided to convert the existing parish hall into a new parish church.

The biggest barrier to constructing a new church for the community was funding. But as Father James Puthenparambil, current pastor at Immaculate Conception explained, parishioners did not let a lack of money stand in the way of building a new church.

“We are not a rich community, but we sacrificed a lot. We had the support of the entire community to make this happen. A new church was a dream of our parishioners,” he said proudly.

Construction began on the new church in January 2015. The outside structure is the same, but the inside has been completely rebuilt.

Although flood insurance covered repairing the damaged buildings, gutting the old parish hall and transforming it into the new church cost $300,000, which was raised by a grassroots effort by the entire community.

“We held fundraisers and all pews were donated, along with all holy vessels and vestments,” Father Puthenparambil said. “The new church will also hold more people, with a capacity of 330.”

Solis, a life-long parishioner, said the building is much deserved for the quiet community and believes the new church will help the parish grow. Currently, the church has approximately 400 families as parishioners.

“We’re seeing a lot of new people in our community, thanks to the increased number of businesses coming into our area, so the timing is perfect,” he said. “It’s also wonderful to see the vision of our former pastor Father Bob Dunn become a reality 16 years later.”

The new church is adorned with oak pews from Idaho and an altar of pure marble imported from Italy. The Alpha and Omega on the altar is infused with striking red marble.

Some of the religious items from the old church have made its way to the new church, as well.

“Parishioners will recognize our Stations of the Cross throughout the church,” Solis said.

And if the crucifix over the altar looks familiar, it’s because it should. The wood cross is new, handmade by the builder, but the crucifix is refurbished from the old church, dating back to 1964. Statues of Joseph and Mary were also restored from the old church.

An official Consecration and Dedication of the new church is planned for Aug. 1, with Bishop Mulvey officiating. A reception and dinner will follow afterwards.

The next phase of renovations for the church include adding some aesthetic elements to the outside, like a steeple and bell tower. Father Puthenparambil does not have an estimate for the costs of outdoor renovations, but said the parish Finance Committee needs some time to hash out the details. Also set for the future construction: converting the old church into a new parish hall.

Father Puthenparambil said it warms his heart to see a community come together for one goal.

“When I see the inside of this gorgeous new church, I think of the many dedicated parishioners who made personal sacrifices to make sure we have an amazing church to worship. Now we have a beautiful place to worship and can call it home.”

Parish Hall converted to new sanctuary at Immaculate Conception Church in Gregory after flood damaged old chapel. Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic