Cascade, Colo. — The Holy Cross Community is celebrating with prayers of thanksgiving because the mandatory evacuation order for Cascade and the surrounding areas was lifed on Sunday, July 1. The Holy Cross Novitiate was evacuated on Saturday, June 23 due to the raging wildfires in nearby canyons.
The seven novices and Novitiate staff returned to the Novitiate yesterday evening. In an update to the Province and the families of the Novices, Novice Master Rev. Kevin M. Russeau, C.S.C., remarked,
“I drove up to our property to see if there was damage and to assess when we might be able to move back in. I couldn’t believe how good our houses looked. Firefighters did a great job keeping the fire away from our houses. I did not smell any smoke, the houses were in great shape, even our flowers and garden looked good. We don’t have gas restored yet, but we never lost electricity so all our food is still good to eat. We owe much gratitude to the Cascade Volunteer Fire Department and all who helped to protect our property.
We will still be on high alert and will be in a pre-evacuation state for some time. The novices will continue to work through the Marian House to assist evacuees for the next several days. Please continue to keep the many people who are still evacuated, those who lost homes and loved ones, and our firefighters in prayer. We still have a long way to go and we are grateful that our house and local community can begin clean up.”
Read more about how the novices are volunteering and helping others in their time of need. Their story was featured on “CBS This Morning” last week.
The Community continues to pray for those who lost their homes and the firefighters whose tireless efforts have helped save many more.
