Rev. John Beitans This is Me

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1. 1. Our Staff

   www.saintlawrence.net/staff.ht - [Cached]

   Published on: 6/27/2008   Last Visited: 6/27/2008

   John BeitansPastorjbeitans@saintlawrence.cc

2. 2. Parish Pastoral Council

   www.saintlawrence.net/parishco - [Cached]

   Published on: 6/27/2008   Last Visited: 6/27/2008

   Fr. John Beitans 317.546.4065ext. 234

3. 3. www.archindy.org

   www.archindy.org/criterion/loc - [Cached]

   Published on: 11/9/2007   Last Visited: 12/9/2007

   Father John Beitans, pastor of St. Lawrence Parish in Indianapolis, talks with Tony Camacho, a supervisor with ServiceMaster, on Nov. 4 about clean-up work under way in the St. Lawrence Church narthex after a late-night fire on All Souls Day caused by votive candles that melted and burned out of control.
   ...
   Father John Beitans, pastor of St. Lawrence Parish in Indianapolis, talks with Tony Camacho, a supervisor with ServiceMaster, on Nov. 4 about clean-up work under way in the St. Lawrence Church narthex after a late-night fire on All Souls Day caused by votive candles that melted and burned out of control.
   ...
   Father John Beitans, the pastor, said on Nov. 4 that the church's electronic fire alarm went off at 1:06 a.m. on Nov. 3 and automatically notified the Lawrence Fire Department as well as the security company that monitors the system.
   
   Firefighters arrived within 10 minutes and extinguished the blaze, he said, which was limited to the gathering space at the front entrance of the 21-year-old church.
   ...
   "Apparently, two candle wicks leaned over , and the plastic holders caught on fire," Father Beitans said.
   ...
   "We had put out hundreds of votive lights to be lit for All Souls Day to represent all the departed souls," Father Beitans said."The last Mass was at 8 p.m., and everything seemed fine when the church was locked on Friday night."
   
   The votive candles are manufactured to burn quickly then go out when the wax is gone, he said, but the wicks must be straight when the candles are lit.
   
   Father Beitans said he believes the new fire-retardant carpeting installed in the narthex several months ago prevented the blaze from spreading throughout the church.
   
   Interior doors between the narthex and fan-shaped worship space were closed, he said, and also helped prevent the fire from spreading there.
   
   ServiceMaster employees arrived when the firefighters were leaving in the early morning hours on Saturday, he said.They covered the broken glass doors with plywood and worked in shifts all weekend to clean the fire-damaged gathering space and air out the smoke in the church.
   
   "We're so grateful to God that it wasn't much worse," Father Beitans said.
   ...
   "Votive candles are traditionally left burning until they burn out on their own," Father Beitans said.
   ...
   Power was turned off after the fire, Father Beitans said, but the wiring was inspected by Indianapolis Power and Light Company officials on Nov. 3 then electrical service was restored to the church.
   ...
   It may be four to six weeks before all the repairs are completed in the church, Father Beitans said, so many activities scheduled there will be held elsewhere on the parish campus at 6944 E. 46th St.
   
   He said a performance by Sisterhood Christian Drama Ministry, which is scheduled at 7 p.m. on Nov. 9, will be held at Father Conen Hall instead of at the church.
   
   Parishioners Lisa Winbush, who was recently elected president of the Parish Council; Matthew Hickey, a firefighter; and James Fernandez, who works for the alarm company, joined Father Beitans outside the church in the middle of the night to offer their help and support.
   ...
   Father Beitans said the spirit of St. Lawrence parishioners is wonderful and the people will do "whatever it takes" to complete the church renovations already under way before the fire as well as remodel Father Conen Hall and Father Beechum Gymnasium.