Car crashes into building at Trinity Heights

By RENEE WEBB
Content and Design Coordinator

Trinity Heights Queen of Peace Shrine in Sioux City received significant damage to one of its buildings on Easter Sunday when a car crashed into the entrance of the Divine Mercy Chapel.

According to Terry Hegarty, executive director of the diocesan shrine, he was out of town on April 5 when the alarm company as well as maintenance man both alerted him to the accident. The incident occurred shortly after 1 p.m.

“The driver of the vehicle entered the parking lot and was in the process of trying to pull alongside another vehicle when it accelerated and went through the ropes and poles along the edge of our parking – right up the sidewalk into the entrance of the Divine Mercy Chapel,” he said.

The vehicle stopped, added Hegarty, when it hit an interior wall that housed furnace and air conditioning ductwork.

He pointed out that the insurance company is still investigating the incident.

While the amount of damage is still being determined, Hegarty estimated it to be from $30,000 to $50,000 depending on what is discovered after damaged sheetrock is removed.

“With both entrance doors and the header being torn out, that wall will have to be rebuilt,” he anticipated. “Then there are two walls inside, plus the door of the chapel itself and that interior wall.”

At the present time, the entrance is boarded up. He did note that the other side of the building – the St. Joseph Center with the museum and life-size Last Supper carving is open.

As of April 8, Hegarty said they had not started cleanup as he was still waiting for insurance adjustors to inspect the property. From there, they will determine the course of action with how to proceed with repairs and rebuilding.

“We would like to see that happen very soon, but we have to go through the right channels right now,” he said.

Once they learn more from the insurance inspectors, Hegarty said they would start looking at local contractors.

While the building sustained a good deal of damage, the shrine’s executive director thanked God that no one was injured.

“We were not open, so the building was closed but there were a lot of people here that day walking the grounds,” he said. “If someone would have been walking along that sidewalk, it could have been tragic. Rather than just having to rebuild a structure, to rebuild lives would have been devastating.”

Presently, Mass in the Divine Mercy Chapel has been suspended because they cannot access that portion of the building.

“There is still glass all over, sheetrock and boards with nails,” said Hegarty. “Until we can get all of that cleaned up, we can’t access the vestibule, sacristy and chapel. When we can get to that point where we can access it, then we will temporarily hold Mass in the Marian Center.”

For updates, check out the Trinity Heights Facebook page or website.

Trinity Heights has continued hosting the Divine Mercy Novena reflections this week as they are hosted in the Marian Center, which is located in a different building. There are two more nights to be offered – April 10 and 11 – featuring talks by deacons at 7 p.m., but no adoration will be held due to the accident.

“I would encourage people to come, the Marian Center is all set up,” said Hegarty, who noted it’s a nice opportunity to hear the various deacons’ perspectives on Divine Mercy.

The Divine Mercy Celebration on April 12 was already previously planned to be held at Holy Cross Parish, St. Michael Church in Sioux City. The Divine Mercy gathering will start with adoration and confessions at 1:30 p.m. and the chaplet and talk by Bishop Emeritus Walker Nickless at 3 p.m.
 
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