Construction on St. Matthew's to be completed this year

Published: Saturday, June 14, 2014 at 6:01 a.m. Last Modified: Saturday, June 14, 2014 at 11:33 p.m.

After a 2010 fire destroyed their church, parishioners of St. Matthews Episcopal in Houma look forward to returning to their former location in the coming weeks.

The Rev. Craig Dalferes, rector at St. Matthews, said the new school building and parish hall will be completed by the start of the start of the school year in August.

Dalferes also estimated the church, on Barrow Street near Main Street, will be completed around December as the buildings interior will need additional work.

Once we receive the permit to occupy the school and parish hall, we will likely begin having our worship service in the parish hall until the church is complete, he said. Although no injuries were reported, the fire, which took hours to extinguish, destroyed the building during the early morning hours of Nov. 11, 2010.

The fire began in the church and spread to one wing of the school, which burned through the roof, causing the buildings collapse.

Demolition of the church building, a Houma landmark, began on Dec. 22, 2010.

Grace Lutheran Church in Houma then offered its church building to the St. Matthews congregation for its Sunday services.

We have enjoyed wonderful hospitality from Grace Lutheran Church these past three-and-a-half years, Dalferes said. Our departure in a few weeks will be bittersweet as weve come to enjoy one another very much and have made some wonderful new friends.

The congregation holds its service at 11 a.m., but once back at St. Matthews, Dalferes said the service will shift to 9 a.m.

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Construction on St. Matthew's to be completed this year