JEFFERSON, Wis. — Monday night, a Catholic church that's home to more than 1,000 families caught on fire after being struck by lightning.
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is a relic in the town of Jefferson. It's a symbol of the community that's now been tested but still remains. Some people are even calling it a miracle.
"I couldn't believe it. I was upset. I cried a little," Susan Strese said.
It's a reaction many had, like Strese, when they saw St. John's in flames. For Strese, she was being sent videos and pictures from friends.
"I couldn't sleep all night 'cause I couldn't wait to get down here, just to make sure it was okay. And as you notice, the cross is still standing," Strese explained.
It's a symbol and a church that encompasses more than prayers and worship for Strese's entire family.
"It's been my whole life. I got married here, my kids have all been baptized and confirmed, and two of them went through school here. There's so many people that I've grown up with in this church, so it was just as devastating to know it was on fire," Strese said.
Jefferson's Fire Chief, Ron Wegner, said 24 different departments, some as far as Janesville and Verona, responded with mutual aid Monday night. All to save the century's old place of worship that is home to so many.
"It was tough. It was our fest day, so ironic right? So, we soldier on. People put their heart and soul into their church. That cornerstone is 1866," Monsignor Donn Heiar said.
It's a date Heiar said is actually carved on the cross that still stands after its steeple was struck by an act of God, protected by God too.
"That speaks to something doesn't it, you know. A lot of things could've fallen off, and a lot of things did, and the cross is still there," Heiar said.
St. John's will remain closed through the weekend. Heiar said there is water damage inside the church, but they're working to get it remediated now.
They're also working to get the cross down from the steeple to save it.
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