BATON ROUGE - A Baton Rouge church destroyed by fire two years ago is now taking a major step toward rebuilding, turning loss into a message of hope.For members at St. Lukersquo;s Episcopal Church, the effort is about more than reconstructing a building. Itrsquo;s about restoring a place that has l ong been at the heart of their community.Today, a steel frame stands where their church once stood before it was destroyed in a 2024 fire.ldquo;Itrsquo;s been an incredible journey of loss and grief, but also resilience and hope and renewed faith,rdquo; Fr. Bryan Owen said.Since the fire, the congregation has continued to worship while preparing for what comes next. Now, church leaders are launching a capital campaign aimed at raising between $3 million and $3.5 million to rebuild and reimagine the campus.So far, more than $2.3 million has been raised for the campaign, with an additional $3 million coming from the churchrsquo;s fire fund.ldquo;Itrsquo;s a wonderful testimony to the presence of God with us to help see us through,rdquo; Owen said.Plans for the new church include a sanctuary that can seat about 350 worshipers, expanded gathering areas and a newly designed Pope Hall for events and fellowship.Over the weekend, parishioners gathered at the construction site, marking the moment directly on the framework as rebuilding moves forward.ldquo;Irsquo;m very thankful for all the people who are doing what we all need to do to make this happen,rdquo; one parishioner said.For many, the journey has been deeply personal, filled with reflection and gratitude.ldquo;It forces you to really reconsider whatrsquo;s the most important things in your life, what you really value,rdquo; Owen said.Fourth-generation parishioner Regan Danos said seeing the progress firsthand has been meaningful.ldquo;Seeing the amount of progress thatrsquo;s been made, and just being with people who have supported me and been around me my whole life, it feels so good,rdquo; Danos said.And while the old building may be gone, members say their foundation is stronger than ever.ldquo;At the end of the day, the old church is gone, but wersquo;re building a new one, and thatrsquo;s really why wersquo;re all gathered here, to celebrate the new beginnings,rdquo; her sister, Morgan Danos said.Church leaders say they are hoping to reopen the new church by December, marking a new chapter for the congregation and the community it serves.Permalink| Comments ...read more read less