It's being called a miracle.
As a deadly wildfire engulfed the town of Lahaina, the blaze appeared to spare the historic Maria Lanakila Catholic Church.
Photos and videos shared on social media show the more than 175-year-old church standing unscathed amid the smoldering surroundings.
“For us, it’s like a miracle,” Rev. Terrence Watanabe, a pastor at the nearby St. Anthony Church, told the Honolulu Star Advertiser. “When we saw the news and saw the church steeple rise above the town, it was a great sight to see.”
The fire that tore across the coastal Maui town claimed dozens of lives and burned more than 1,000 buildings. Yet, in the charred, desolate landscape, Maria Lanakila — meaning Our Lady of Victory — "is still standing," a spokesperson for the church confirmed to NBC News.
The church was established in 1846 and the current structure was completed in 1873, according to parish's website.
It's has now become a symbol of hope for local residents praying for Maui's recovery.
Many recalled a similar phenomenon in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center buildings. St. Paul’s Chapel of the Parish of Trinity Church Wall Street, known as the “Little Chapel that Stood," miraculously survived without even a broken window when the World Trade Center towers crumbled across the street. St. Paul’s became a place of refuge and morale for first responders, relief workers and everyday New Yorkers who worked to rescue people from the ground zero rubble and later rebuild.
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