Post-Helene Renovations at St. Anne’s, Crystal River, Enhance Easter Celebration

After almost 18 months of worshipping in the parish hall, St. Anne’s, Crystal River, was able to hold Easter Mass in its sanctuary.

The storm surge from Hurricane Helene in Sept. 2024 flooded the sanctuary, parish hall, offices, garage and parking lot.

The Rev. Rich Chandler, rector, was first on the scene. “From the outside, it didn’t look too bad,” he said. “Then I walked in. The smell was gut-wrenching. There was 18” of standing water in the sanctuary, and watermarks four feet up the walls. It was a total loss.”

“Mass was canceled on Sept. 29, 2024,” he said. “However, we had Mass the following Sunday, Oct. 6, under the sanctuary canopy. We held Mass in the parish hall from Oct. 13, 2024, until Easter.”

The sacristy and its furnishings, the narthex and the sanctuary were all destroyed. However, the wedding chapel and the sacrament chapel had no damage. “We found that out when the contractors started doing the demo in the sanctuary,” said Chandler.

The renovation was 99% self-funded. “The parishioners were very generous, and this renovation could not have happened without their support,” Chandler said. “Several parishes in the diocese also donated money, and everyone’s generosity covered the deductibles. The inspectors from Church Insurance Company really came through for us. We received nothing from FEMA.”

His fellow clergy at St. Anne’s were a great support to Chandler. “Father Bob Wagenseil, an associate priest, had been through a hurricane, so he was a great help, as was Associate Priest Gilbert S. Larsen,” he said. “Gil was a great sport and let me pick his brain. Deacons Cheryl Anne Bakker, Henry W. Brown and William Brady pitched in to remove ruined furniture and clean up messes.”

The renovation was challenging. “Two contractors referred by our insurer were horrible,” said Tom Thomas, chair of the Renovation Committee. “We found another contractor to do the work.

“St. Michael’s, Sanibel Island, referred us to FP Restoration, who followed the plan that our designer, J2 Studio, produced,” he continued. “The church is magnificent!”

The final walk-through was May 27, and Chandler was able to get back into his office on May 28. There are still a few things remaining to fix and replace, and some doors still need to be hung. Thomas noted that the contractor will have finished everything by the end of June.

“We’re still finding out what is missing,” Chandler said. “If we can’t find something, we say it’s in a box. We’re still unpacking. In preparation for the hurricane, we had placed most paperwork in plastic bins and taped the lids. We did lose some of our paperwork.”

The building materials the church chose are impervious to water. The floors in the Parish Hall, the sanctuary steps, and the high altar are porcelain tile. The offices have impervious carpet tile that can be submerged without dissolving the glue.

“Easter was glorious!” Chandler said. “We baptized a baby boy that morning, and 150 people were in attendance.”

“It was wonderful participating in the beautiful Episcopal Easter service in such magnificent surroundings,” said Thomas. “I was excited to see the good attendance. We couldn’t have done it without the Lord.”

“We had some dark times,” Chandler said. “Just when we thought we couldn’t do it, God showed us that we could. Faith kept us going. We learned that if we wanted his help, we needed to get out of his way. ‘How do we raise the funds? Whatever we focus on will happen.’ We focused on faith. The money would be there. If the Lord wants a church, he’ll build it. God came through for us.”