Rockwell Fire Chief Mark Lowe admires the intact altar of the Sacred Heart Parish Center Wednesday. The building was destroyed by a fire that started around 7:35 a.m., and burned throughout the day Tuesday. Photos by Kelly McGowan

This stained glass window was moved from the parish’s original school to the current location when it was built in 1956. Bryce Dorenkamp was working today to remove and salvage the window for use in the church’s new building, which is slated to be constructed by the fall.

Rubble and downed ceiling beams surround the unharmed altar area of the Sacred Heart Parish Center, which was destroyed by a fire yesterday.

• Crucifix, tabernacle, Mary and Joseph statues covered in ash, but intact. Dorenkamp works to salvage historic stained glass.

    Smoke poured slowly from the burnt-out Sacred Heart Parish center in Rockwell this afternoon.

    Icicles lined the gutters and windows – they formed almost instantly when firefighters hosed the building in the minus 4-degree air yesterday.

    Fire crews fought flames from about 7:40 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Rockwell Fire Chief Mark Lowe “babysat” the smoldering fire through the night until 6 a.m.

    The Rev. Rod Allers is the Sacred Heart Parish pastor. Throughout the day, he was more concerned with the firefighters’ well being than the building, he said.

    “It wasn’t till the end of the day that I sat down, thought about it and had my moment,” Allers said. “It was sad to watch the building go. There’s a lot of memories a lot of people have of going to school here.”

    Funerals, family reunions, dinners, Irish fairs and other events took place in the former Catholic school following its closure in the 1970s.

    An evergreen wreath still hung on the door, which led into a damaged worship area. Sunlight streamed through the roof where the charred, ice-encrusted wooden roof beams had fallen a few feet in front of the altar.

    Behind it, a crucifix hung on a wooden backdrop flanked by statues. The figures, a wooden tabernacle and podiums, though covered in a layer of ash, were intact.

    An electric saw buzzed just west of the altar as Sheffield resident Bryce Dorenkamp, of Dorenkamp Construction, cut away the mortar that held a circular stained glass window in place.

    “With all the damage around it, it’s really amazing it’s safe,” he said.

    The window was built in the parish’s original Catholic school building and moved when the current building went up in 1956.

     “It’s been part of the parish community since the beginning,” Allers said.

    An image of Jesus Christ holding a Sacred Heart – the parish’s namesake – is on the glass. The heart is topped with a cross, surrounded by a crown of thorns, and is on fire.

    “Most definitely they’ll [rebuild],” Lowe said. “And they want to make sure that window comes with it”

    The parish plans to have a new building constructed by the fall.

    “We need to grieve what was lost,” Allers said, “but we need to be hopeful about the future, too.”

    The fire simultaneously burned a flat roof and the pitched roof above it, which made putting it out more difficult, Lowe said. The cause is undetermined, but he said the hottest spot was in building’s center. Keeping equipment thawed and running was a challenge in the frigid temps.

    Rockwell, Dougherty, Swaledale, Mason City and Sheffield fire departments were on the scene alongside the Iowa State Patrol, area EMTs and the Cerro Gordo Community Emergency Response Team and Sheriff’s Department. Lowe thanked all of the responding agencies.

    “When you have a situation like this and you need help, it’s nice to know that you have that support behind you,” he said. “It’s very much appreciated.”

    Rockwell Residents provided hot drinks and food for the firefighters in the nearby community center.

    “Our bunker gear does a pretty good job of keeping us warm,” Lowe said. “But once you get wet and cold, it holds that cold in. It’s just miserable.”

    The community response was powerful for Allers, who has been pastor of the church for 4.5 years.

    “It was just amazing to see everybody come together,” he said. “It’s one of the beautiful things of small town living. It made me proud to be a part of the community.”

    He also thanked the responding volunteers.

    “They don’t have to do it, and they do,” he said. “They’re a huge asset to our communities.”

    Parish Groundskeeper Mark Waite lived in an apartment in the building. Insurance does not cover his losses, according to a GoFundMe page created by Allers today.

    “He has served us well for many years,” the page reads. “Now is [the] opportunity to step up for him. Starting over is no easy task.”

    Donations can be made on the page, titled “Mark Waite Fire Assistance.” As of 9 p.m., $415 of the aimed-for $10,000 had been raised.

See a slideshow of the aftermath below: