On Aug. 19, Fr. Anthony Narisetty, S.A.C. entered Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church for the first time in nearly a month.

The pastor, already grateful that the nearly 60-year-old house of worship was not among the 32 per cent of structures (358 of 1,113) destroyed by the wildfire that raged throughout the town of Jasper, Alta., in late July, was pleased to discover no interior pollutant damage.

However, the fumes were overpowering and pervaded the chapel, parish hall and rectory. A professional smoke damage restoration company aims to purge the harmful stench from the building as soon as possible to enable the resumption of liturgical services within the first half of September.

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Narisetty told The Catholic Register that “it is a miracle the church is still standing, and people with their homes still (intact) have expressed that it is a miracle as the fire was raging. Thanks be to God, the firefighters and first responders.”

Following organized bus tours in early August that allowed residents to assess the exterior condition of their homes and businesses from a safe distance, the town opened once more to Jasperites on Aug. 16. In advance of that emotional day, Mayor Richard Ireland told regional media outlets what he anticipated residents would feel.

“They should be prepared for a sight, in a sense, that cannot really be adequately conveyed just through photographs on social media and even on film footage that they might see on social media or on the television,” said Ireland, who has led Jasper since 2001. “To actually stand there and see your house, for example, from street level, if it is in the really most impacted part of town, is just so unsettling. It is just so beyond what I think people can legitimately expect until they get there to see it for themselves.”

Tragically, other locals received the unfortunate news that their house was no more. Narisetty said some of the congregants he has spoken to who are newly homeless have informed him of their plans to ultimately restore what was taken away by fire.

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A Government of Alberta task force is working to secure temporary housing for approximately 360 households, which could adequately shelter these displaced residents for up to two years. Ric McIver, Alberta’s minister of municipal affairs, anticipates the effort to rebuild Jasper to take shape in spring 2025.  

Narisetty is prepared to carry out his role in recovery. He — along with associate pastor Fr. Marreddy Udumala, S.A.C., and Deacon Edward Meding — is committed to “walking with (the people) and providing the support they need.” This trio also guides Our Lady of the Foothills Church in Hinton and Holy Cross Church in Grande Cache.

In an August release, Edmonton Archbishop Richard Smith commended the above parish communities and others for stepping up to aid some of the 25,000 people who fled the tourist town or the adjacent Jasper National Park.

“We are grateful to the pastors and our sister parishes of Our Lady of the Foothills in Hinton, Holy Cross Parish in Grande Cache and Our Lady of the Rockies in Susa Creek,” stated Smith. “They have welcomed evacuees for Mass and provided them with essential needs — food, shelter, clothing and toiletries — as well as an attentive ear to comfort them in their grief.”

Smith encouraged each of the Edmonton archdiocese's 97 member parishes to include the town of Jasper and the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic community in the faithful's prayers during liturgical services these past weeks.

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Conversations are also underway about organizing a fundraising drive for the affected parishioners.

Meanwhile, the wildfires afflicting Jasper National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site that remains closed until further notice, was classified as “being held” as of late August. Over 30.5 millimetres of rainfall caused a substantial decrease in fire activity.