BRYTE, CA (MPG) - The rebuilding of the historic Holy Myrrhbearing Women Church, located at 833 Water Street, Bryte is progressing nicely after an electrical fire nearly destroyed it in 2018. It was St. Peter and Paul’s Saints Day and there were plans for a service. As parishioners arrived for what they thought was going to be a Holy service they saw bibles, religious artifacts and structural pieces of their church in a water soaked pile. The fire was out but emotions had just begun.

Members of the congregation came into the church one after another with tears in their eyes, almost in slow motion, as they looked at the devastation. Many of them went back outside and went right to work, trying to clean up and salvage what they could.

A little girl, about four years old, dressed in a swimsuit and flip flops, and holding a baby doll of some kind, came skipping into the church with a light-heartedness that only a child has. She was swinging the doll back and forth as she playfully skipped in. Suddenly she came to an abrupt stop.

The doll fell to her side, her shoulders dropped, her eyes got big and her jaw dropped open. She stood in that spot and spun around ever so slowly, looking at the blackened, scorched building. By the time she completed the rotation, she had tears rolling down her cheeks. Her long eye lashes were separated from the wetness of her tears. Not a sound came out of her little mouth.

At about that time, a pregnant lady, with a toddler on her hip, walked in and knelt down next to the little girl. The little girl fell into her arms and wept into her shoulder. The heart crushing despair was obvious. At four years old all she saw was soot and charred wood and had no idea it could be rebuilt. Almost everything was blackened.  The lady tried her best to reassure the little girl, as tears ran down her face as well.

The church was completed in 1925 and was built by the wives of traders who were conducting business at the Sacramento Trading Post (Now known as Old Sacramento). While the men were doing business, the women were using the wood from their ships to build this church. It therefore became known as the Holy Myrrhbearing Women Church.

It was a small church, with only 2 pews for handicapped and elderly. It had a bell tower, a cathedral ceiling over the altar, beautiful stained glass windows and holy icons that covered the walls. The building was still standing, but the fire burned the inside almost to complete destruction. Luckily, that day’s service had not started yet so the church was empty and nobody was hurt.

Though not a complete loss, there was significant damage. The fire got so hot that some glass shattered and some glass melted, yet the holy icons of Saint John of Shanghai, which was painted onto gold, did not melt. An icon of the Mother Mary and Jesus called Kazan Kia and St Nicholas (the Wonder Worker) painted into gold were also undamaged. Their frames and glass were destroyed.

The walls, which were burnt almost to cinders, had fabric pictures of Jesus and the Last Supper that did not even have soot damage. Most things inside that building were completely ravaged by fire, yet these icons (which were located throughout the building) showed no damage.

It’s four years later and the church is still under construction. The Church will now be called the Orthodox Church of America.  It will have a new look but will still have a working bell tower and an 8-sided steeple holding a golden dome and cross. The new structure will now comply with all ADA requirements. There will be stained glass panels that hang inside, giving the appearance of stained glass windows. The congregation was hoping for completion by Easter, but funding has not allowed that.

If you would like to donate, the Orthodox Church of America is happily taking donations at gofundme.com/firedestructionofourchurch