The once frozen holy water has thawed, and parishioners of the Fraternite Notre Dame in the Austin neighborhood no longer need to bundle under blankets during Mass after enough donations poured in this week to fix the heat.
Sister Marie Valerie said the sisters have more than just a warm building now.
"It warmed my whole heart to see how people respond, very, very helpful," she said.
Word spread quickly that the church's two boilers stopped working last week during the year's worst cold spell. The eight nuns who live there spent their days serving others in temperatures below freezing and their nights sleeping around electric space heaters.
"I wanted to do everything that I can to assist the sisters," Scott Miller, who made a donation, said.
Miller first watched the sisters' story on NBC 5 and said he felt compelled to drop off a donation Sunday morning.
Sister Valerie said the community's response has been overwhelming. In just a few days, strangers have set up online donation sites. Businesses have also pitched in. The church will have the $200,000 it needs to install new boilers and proper insulation, Sister Valerie said.
Local
"It will be a way to put everything back together on our feet," Sister Valerie said.
