From wreck to blessing: New stone lions at Church Mouse after crash destroyed last pair

Kristina Webb, Palm Beach Daily News
·4 min read

In Palm Beach, it takes two lions to protect a mouse.

In this case, stone lions. And this is no ordinary mouse, but the Church Mouse, the thrift store that for more than 50 years has raised money for the outreach ministry of The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea.

A small group of church officials, members and supporters from the community gathered Wednesday evening outside of the store at 376 S. County Road to bless the pair of stone lions that recently took up residence in front of the Church Mouse — a full circle moment that marked the completion of a six-month journey that began with a bang.

The previous lions — along with the store's front door and its casing, a chunk of the building near the front door and the landscaping outside — were destroyed when a 54-year-old Tennessee woman lost control of her SUV about 4 a.m. Oct. 4.

Video from a surveillance camera on the back of the nearby Town Hall shows the vehicle approaching quickly from the north, slamming into the front door area of the Church Mouse, ricocheting toward the south end of the building and finally coming to rest in the southbound lanes of South County Road.

"Fortunately, the driver was not seriously injured," the Rev. Tim Schenck, Bethesda's rector, told those gathered at the Church Mouse on Wednesday. "But our lions were. And they were down for the count."

The front entrance of the Church Mouse was damaged early Oct. 4, 2023, after driver lost control of her SUV and crashed into the building. A pair of stone lions that stood guard over the front door for more than a decade was destroyed in the incident.
The front entrance of the Church Mouse was damaged early Oct. 4, 2023, after driver lost control of her SUV and crashed into the building. A pair of stone lions that stood guard over the front door for more than a decade was destroyed in the incident.

The crash happened just two days after the Church Mouse opened for the season, a busy time of year for the store as patrons swarm in to check out the donations that came into the secondhand store over the summer.

The lions had held their station for about 14 years.

That's where Devonshire of Palm Beach comes in.

layton Braga, left, and The Rev. Tim Schenck of The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea pose near a pair of stone lions donated by Devonshire, managed by Braga, at the front door of The Church Mouse on Wednesday.
layton Braga, left, and The Rev. Tim Schenck of The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea pose near a pair of stone lions donated by Devonshire, managed by Braga, at the front door of The Church Mouse on Wednesday.

The West Palm Beach-based home and garden shop originated on the island in 1985, and its co-owners Nelson Hammell and Pete Hawkins are big fans of the Church Mouse and Bethesda, they previously told Palm Beach Daily News.

When they heard about the crash and the lions' demise, they quickly offered to donate a pair of stone lions as replacement.

"It's good to give back, to help the community," said Clayton Braga, Devonshire's general manager. "I thought it was amazing for Devonshire to be part of the history of the Church Mouse."

The Rev. Tim Schenck of The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea blesses a pair of stone lions donated by Devonshire of Palm Beach at the front door of The Church Mouse on Wednesday.
The Rev. Tim Schenck of The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea blesses a pair of stone lions donated by Devonshire of Palm Beach at the front door of The Church Mouse on Wednesday.

A few weeks ago, Schenck and parish administrator Joseph Sanelli drove to Devonshire's store in West Palm Beach to choose the lions. They went with a stately pair, about 40 years old and from The Cotswolds in England.

"I think they're both regal and welcoming," Schenck said.

They're also incredibly heavy, he said, noting that he and Sanelli loaded them into Sanelli's pickup that day and brought them to the Church Mouse, where they put them in position as the new guardians of the store.

The stone lions donated by Devonshire of Palm Beach to stand guard outside of the Church Mouse are about 40 years old and from The Cotswolds in England.
The stone lions donated by Devonshire of Palm Beach to stand guard outside of the Church Mouse are about 40 years old and from The Cotswolds in England.

Wednesday's event was a celebration of the lions' arrival, and of Devonshire's gift to the Church Mouse and Bethesda, he said.

"It's also a fun way to highlight the ministry of the Church Mouse," Schenck said.

Wednesday's brief ceremony took place on the sidewalk along South County Road, where fresh landscaping masks the ghost of the damage from the crash.

The lions, one of which is seen here, were donated to the Church Mouse by Devonshire of Palm Beach after a driver lost control of her SUV and ran into the store's front door on Oct. 4.
The lions, one of which is seen here, were donated to the Church Mouse by Devonshire of Palm Beach after a driver lost control of her SUV and ran into the store's front door on Oct. 4.

Schenck opened with a prayer: "Almighty God, we gather before you today to seek your blessing upon these lions, guardians of our beloved Church Mouse and symbols of fidelity and welcome," he said. "Grant that all who pass by may be insured by their steadfastness and find comfort in their silent watch. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

That was followed by the Rev. Susan Beebe of Bethesda, who read the passage from Chapter 6 of the Book of Daniel in The Bible, where Daniel is thrown into the lions' den and saved by God.

Schenck then dedicated the lions, using a palm frond to sprinkle holy water on each one "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

The Rev. Susan R. Beebe reads a Bible passage from the Book of Daniel, about Daniel surviving in the lions' den, during the blessing of a pair of stone lions next to the front door of the Church Mouse in Palm Beach on April 24.
The Rev. Susan R. Beebe reads a Bible passage from the Book of Daniel, about Daniel surviving in the lions' den, during the blessing of a pair of stone lions next to the front door of the Church Mouse in Palm Beach on April 24.

"The folks at Devonshire of Palm Beach, they came to the rescue," Schenck said, speaking to those gathered before the blessing. "They reached out almost immediately and said, 'You need lions. We have many lions to choose from.'"

It's a perfect example of the community at its best, he said.

"Someone's down and someone offers to lift us up," Schenck said. "That was incredibly meaningful to all of us and incredibly supportive. Thank you for that."

Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Church Mouse in Palm Beach: Lions blessed, replace pair lost in crash