WATCH: Landslide Stops Just Short of Historic Church: 'Hand of God'

By Randy DeSoto June 5, 2018 at 3:44pm

A 420-year-old church in Italy escaped destruction last week when a massive landslide fell just short of the sacred structure.

The Daily Mail shared video of the bell tower of the Santuario di Gallivaggio church in Valle Spluga, near the Italian-Swiss border being engulfed in dust after 7,500 cubic meters of rock and soil fell May 29.

Landslide tumbles down Italian mountainside but STOPS yards short of 420-year-old church https://t.co/sRJHShk6oV pic.twitter.com/LnvkeKn4XG

— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) June 5, 2018

The landslide came after almost 2.5 inches of rain fell within a 24-hour period.

Miraculously, no one was killed or injured by the massive wall of rock.

“As a believer I say that the provident hand of God accompanied this event, which could have ended tragically,” Parish priest Don Andrea Caelli told Avvenire.

Construction of the church began in 1598.

It was built on the site where two young girls claimed they saw the Virgin Mary in 1492.

Do you think God protected this church?

The survival of the church calls to mind a famous house of worship, named for the Apostle Paul, that was miraculously spared from ruin during World War II.

The Germans pounded London with aerial bombing raids for more than 100 nights in 1940, laying waste to significant portions of the famous city.

In the midst of what became known as the Second Great Fire of London, caused by the bombing, St. Paul’s Cathedral (built in 1675) stood tall above the smoke and flames.

St Paul's Cathedral standing out of the flames and smoke caused by a bombing raid on London in December 1940. On this #LondonHistoryDay, discover photos of the capital and other cities across the country during the Blitz. https://t.co/g4m9NoV1aH pic.twitter.com/JiV1AlatoK

— Imperial War Museums (@I_W_M) May 31, 2018

Bombs rained down on the massive structure during the night of Dec. 29, 1940, the BBC reported.

One incendiary bomb lodged in the roof, and as it burned the iron in the church’s iconic dome began to melt.

Suddenly, the bomb dislodged and fell to the cathedral’s floor, where firefighters were able to put it out.

St. Paul’s Cathedral was saved.

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Tags:

Faith, Italy, Natural disasters, World news

Randy DeSoto

Senior Staff Writer

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Randy DeSoto has written more than 3,000 articles for The Western Journal since he joined the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths" and screenwriter of the political documentary "I Want Your Money."

@RandyDeSoto

Randy DeSoto is the senior staff writer for The Western Journal. He wrote and was the assistant producer of the documentary film "I Want Your Money" about the perils of Big Government, comparing the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Randy is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths," which addresses how leaders have appealed to beliefs found in the Declaration of Independence at defining moments in our nation's history. He has been published in several political sites and newspapers.

Randy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in political science and Regent University School of Law with a juris doctorate.

Birthplace

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Nationality

American

Honors/Awards

Graduated dean's list from West Point

Education

United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law

Books Written

We Hold These Truths

Professional Memberships

Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars