Early Monday morning, fire destroyed the chapel of the Little Portion Hermitage. Located in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, it is the home of the Brothers & Sisters of Charity and their founder, John Michael Talbot.

Photo: John Cotton

The Main Chapel and the common centre were a total loss. This area housed the community’s primary worship space, storage for audio/concert tour equipment, kitchen, dining rooms, offices, infirmary, classrooms, recreation room, stock room (full of CDs & books), and the library & community archive. The workshops, farm buildings, convent, brother’s hermitages, family residences, and the smaller Portiuncala Chapel were all spared. On Tuesday, power, running water, phone and internet services were restored. That afternoon, community members together with friends and neighbours who stopped by to offer help gathered for Mass.

With the encouragement of the community, Talbot’s scheduled concerts in Alberta will proceed as scheduled. The dates are posted in the YMZ Concerts section. You can find our more about the fire and how you can help at www.littleportion.org.