Holy Family Catholic Church was struck by lightning last month and suffered over $1,200 worth of damage and weeks-long livestream service disruptions. 

The tree outside the parish offices was struck, causing damage to the tree, holes in the soil and a crack in the sidewalk.

Angie Miller, the parish manager, was working in her office that evening when the lightning struck and said it was startling. 

“It just completely shocked us,” Miller said. “It was just so loud. All we could see were flashes of red and yellow light, and we didn’t know what happened.”

Vern Wilson, a pastoral council member, said most of the equipment necessary to livestream services — two Wi-Fi routers, the church’s main computer, the monitor and the soundboard — were damaged during the strike and had to be replaced.

The resulting damage caused the church to miss five Sunday Mass livestreams, which around 200 people attend.

Although the importance of livestreaming has decreased with the number of COVID-19 cases, Miller said livesteams are still essential for some churchgoers.

“Livestreaming was, of course, important back in 2020,” Miller said. “But we still have a lot of use for it now, especially when it comes to funerals or events like First Communion because then people from out of town are able to attend.”

Wilson said it would take a few more weeks before they are able to livestream Mass again. The church hopes to get the repairs done by the end of the month.

Reach reporter Jenna Barackman at [email protected]