Father Josh Rodrigue used a fire extinguisher to put out most of the flames before firefighters arrived. The fire was believed to be caused by electrical wiring.
NEW ORLEANS — Had it not been for its rector, the Notre Dame Seminary’s nativity scene may not have made it to Christmas.
“It was just a fortunate situation,” said Fr. Joshua Rodrigue. Around 6:30 Thursday evening, he was speaking with a seminarian in the hallway when another called him. He said the hay bales in front of the creche had burst into flames.
Fr. Rodrigue knew he had a fire extinguisher in his room. “I ran three floors up, got the fire extinguisher, ran three floors down, ran outside, and started putting it out,” he said. By the time firefighters got there, he had smothered almost all of the flames.
“With priesthood, anything is possible. You're going from teaching, to healing, to putting out fires, to unclogging toilets. It’s everything,” Fr. Rodrigue said with a laugh.
The seminary’s maintenance team spent Friday morning hauling away the burned hay. Facilities Director Travis Gehrkin believes the fire was electrical in nature. There were wires running underneath the hay pile that powered the Christmas lights on the creche and a nearby oak tree.
In security footage shared with WWL Louisiana, the lights flicker for a moment before the first flames become visible. The next day, the wires pulled from the hay were blackened and melted. Gherkin says the initial cause was “probably a loose connection.”
From that initial spark, the fire spread quickly. The statues themselves were okay, though the base of the display has scorch marks. Fr. Rodrigue is not bothered by them. “It's not like everyone is free from from injury and harm, and so it's a good reminder,” he said. “The Lord will protect us.”
Gehrkin plans to replace the wires so the nativity scene can be relit in time for the big day. He may also replace the hay, though the seminary might opt for “something less flammable this time.”
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December 16, 2023 at 07:34AM
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