<div><p>Even the looming threat of a natural disaster couldn't stop pious church-goers in Emory, Texas from partaking in their regular Saturday night service. </p><p>A group of about 45 people including children were attending a service at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in a town near Dallas when they received a severe weather warning. </p><p>With the knowledge that conditions could worsen at any given time, the congregation decided the only way be somewhat safe would be to stay put. </p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/st-john-fb.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/st-john-fb_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/st-john-fb_GH_content_650px.jpg 650w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/st-john-fb_GH_content_750px.jpg 750w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/st-john-fb_GH_content_850px.jpg 850w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/st-john-fb_GH_content_950px.jpg 950w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/st-john-fb_GH_content_1050px.jpg 1050w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/st-john-fb_GH_content_1150px.jpg 1150w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/st-john-fb_GH_content_1250px.jpg 1250w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/st-john-fb_GH_content_1350px.jpg 1350w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/st-john-fb_GH_content_1450px.jpg 1450w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/st-john-fb_GH_content_1550px.jpg 1550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/st-john-fb_GH_content_1630px.jpg 1630w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></figure></div><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p>The group gathered into a hallway and remained as close to the ground as possible. The adults kept praying and singing to lessen the panic but it didn't take long before what they feared happened.</p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/170501164357-emory-church-hallway-exlarge-169.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/170501164357-emory-church-hallway-exlarge-169_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/170501164357-emory-church-hallway-exlarge-169_GH_content_650px.jpg 650w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/170501164357-emory-church-hallway-exlarge-169_GH_content_750px.jpg 750w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></figure></div><p>"About 30 seconds after we went into the hallway, it hit," said Monica Hughes, a youth minister. </p><p>The church was hit by a tornado that ripped apart the building's entire structure. </p><p>"We could see the beams bending and the aluminum roof being ripped away," added Hughes.</p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/Diocese-Church-After-Tornado-Facebook.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/Diocese-Church-After-Tornado-Facebook_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/Diocese-Church-After-Tornado-Facebook_GH_content_650px.jpg 650w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/Diocese-Church-After-Tornado-Facebook_GH_content_750px.jpg 750w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></figure></div><p>According to Peyton Low, director of public affairs for the Diocese of Tyler, the powerful tornado was a direct hit and it is a miracle and the parishioners survived unscathed.</p><p>"Both ends of the building were blown out," Low said. "People are using the term 'miraculous' to describe what happened." </p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p>It's a work of God indeed considering that on that same night, three other tornadoes claimed the lives of 4 people in Texas. </p><p>Since this was the only church in a town of 1,200 people, Sunday Mass was held outside of the church. The residents wanted to make sure "they gave thanks that the people inside survived."</p><p>Church officials filmed the terrifying incident and shared it on YouTube. You can watch it all unfold in the video below: </p><div><div><div><amp-youtube height="9" width="16" layout="responsive" data-videoid="YzcPox-VewQ"></amp-youtube></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p></div>