ST. MARY PARISH — A lightning strike Wednesday afternoon sparked a fire that destroyed the historic St. John Baptist Church in Four Corners, sending shockwaves through a small Louisiana community and triggering a multi-agency firefighting response.
Crews from St. Mary Parish’s District 11 Fire Department, along with departments from Iberia, Lafayette, and St. Martin parishes, battled the blaze for hours. Though no one was injured, the 10,000-square-foot church was declared a total loss.
“We were getting ready to celebrate in October—164 years,” said Pastor David Jones, who has led the congregation for two decades. “This church is actually vital to this community.”
The National Weather Service confirmed that lightning struck the building during a passing storm, setting off a fire that moved quickly through the sanctuary. District 11 Fire Chief said the open interior structure contributed to the rapid spread of flames.
“If you ever look at a church, a church has a lot of open areas—so a fire has easier access to spread through,” he said.
Neighbor Juanita Hines lives next door and witnessed the moment the flames began to climb.
“A big old blast went up and then the smoke—the fire started traveling and going up,” she said. “The church was just in a blaze, and almost like everybody in the community goes to St. Jones.”
Deacon Isaac Jackson was inside the building when the lightning hit. He stepped out after hearing a loud noise and quickly realized the danger.
“When I got on the outside, somebody was running and said, ‘Hey, your church is on fire,’” Jackson said.
Pastor Jones walked through the wreckage the next day, pointing out the devastation.
“As you can see, all of that has been demolished,” he said. “I just know that everything is going to work out.”
Despite the total loss, firefighters discovered something that gave them pause: a Bible resting in the rubble, its pages still visible.
“You can actually see the pages of the Bible where His word is still intact,” the chief said.
Pastor Jones says the congregation is working on plans to temporarily relocate worship services—possibly to a nearby civic center—as they begin the process of rebuilding.
