June 21, 2008
Paradise parish recovering from Humboldt fire
By Denise MacLachlan
Herald staff
After the Humboldt fire near Paradise was contained, Marguerite Speegel, center, received the sacrament of confirmation at St. Thomas More Church on her 100th birthday. With her are her sponsor, Margie Johnson, and Coadjutor Bishop Jaime Soto.
The Humboldt fire which struck the area around Paradise, burning 36 square miles last week and leaving at least 74 families homeless, came alarmingly close to St. Thomas More Church in Paradise.
“Everybody feels a little post-traumatic stress,” said Father Steven Foppiano, pastor of St. Thomas More Parish. “Everyone feels a little tired, too.”
The mandatory evacuation line was three blocks from the church and the parish staff was put on standby to leave before firefighters had the blaze under control.
One St. Thomas More parishioner, Rita Baptista, 80, died during the fire.
“Mrs. Baptista had been active in the church until the last couple of years, when health problems kept her homebound,” Father Foppiano said. “She was alone and tried to drive herself out. She didn’t have to evacuate yet — that’s why no one was there to help her leave — no policemen or anyone like that. It looks like she had a heart attack in the car.”
Father Foppiano was to celebrate a memorial Mass for Baptista at St. Thomas More Church on June 21.
The town of Paradise is known for its history, its natural beauty with thick pine trees and its quaint shops. Many retirees and young families live in the area. The homes lost in the fire were on just outside the southwestern border of town.
Several parish families lost their homes. One family of five children has lost everything, including their pets, Father Foppiano noted.
One young parish couple has three families living with them: the husband’s mother, grandmother, and brother, all of whom had homes near one another that were burned in the fire.
“The parish is helping folks out with money for groceries and clothes,” Father Foppiano said. “And people keep coming to me asking how they can help. People want to give. So we’ll have a fund-raiser in a couple of weeks so that people can get together, talk about the fire, and give what they can.”
One bright spot in the week was the confirmation of parishioner Marguerite Speegel during 5 p.m. Mass on June 14. Speegel, a retired teacher and school principal, has been an area resident for more than 80 years and an active member of St. Thomas More Parish for decades.
She had never received confirmation, although she had prepared for the sacrament several years before. This year, Coadjutor Bishop Jaime Soto arrived at St. Thomas More Church just after the fire crews reopened the roads, and confirmed Speegel on her 100th birthday.
