On Friday, 2 June in the early afternoon the First Congregational Church in downtown Spencer was struck by lightning and burned to the ground.
The Fire Department of Saint Joseph Abbey was called into action as Spencer Fire Chief Parsons ordered their Engine 4 with crew to the scene. Brothers Michael, Guerric and Andrew mustered to respond to the call. Upon arrival they were horrified to witness the devastation that the lightning strike had caused and awed by the response of hundreds of men and women working to fight the fire and help in any way they could.
Chief Parsons put the brothers to work helping to relay water from a pond to the fire scene. Engine 4 was one of some 15 trucks helping to pump water to the trucks on the front line. They worked until 10 pm but managed to say Vespers and Compline privately on site in the truck.
