In the early morning hours of February 26, 2007, a lamp tipped over on a sofa in the mezzanine, igniting a three-alarm fire that destroyed the sanctuary at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Amarillo, Texas, causing an estimated $5 million in damage. Pastor Harold L. Waldow exclaimed, “Be Not Afraid,” when he stood alongside hundreds of parish members and others who gathered to display strength and support to a church that stood no more. After the devastating fire, the decision was made to rebuild a new structure. The church community entrusted Conrad Schmitt Studios with the task of salvaging and restoring the historic stained glass that had managed to survive the fire. In addition to the restoration of those glass treasures, Conrad Schmitt Studios created additional new stained glass windows, expanding upon the restored panels to create larger expanses of glass and matching them seamlessly to look as if they had been created along side the originals.

Today a dedication plaque with the words, “Be Not Afraid,” now greets members and visitors as they walk into the south entrance of the newly resurrected church.