In a spirit of resilience, church services were held the Sunday after the fire, although in the belfry. According to Devon Brown, the people's warden for the St. Michael's Church in Clark's Town, the mother church, the fire will not be a deterrent and the church will rise from the ashes.

"This did not deter us from worshipping," said Mr. Brown in a recent interview with The Gleaner.

"Already there were two concerts held and although it is a far way from the target the recovery has begun."

He added that churches in the Montego Bay region have pledged the Good Friday offering towards the repair. An account has been opened at the Bank of Nova Scotia, Falmouth (account number 18:135), to accept contributions for the restoration of the building.

SERIOUS INJURY

The Rio Bueno police reported that the building caught fire at about 10:30 a.m. on March 1, shortly after a fire was lit at the back of the Rio Bueno All-Age School. The fire fanned by the wind from the sea nearby quickly engulfed the shingles destroying the roof.

Principal of the Rio Bueno All-Age School, Milton Blackwood, suffered serious injury when he fell from the roof in an attempt to put out the blaze. He had two broken legs and is still out of school.

Damage could have been greater but members of the community assisted in removing and securing most of the furniture for which rector of the church Father Alwyn
Hall is grateful. "I just want to thank the residents in the community for moving out all the furniture in the building during the fire," he said.