Trinity Lutheran Church roof support put in place

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Thursday marked a milestone in the reconstruction of Trinity Lutheran Church in downtown Milwaukee after a massive fire caused millions of dollars in damage 13 months ago. 

Construction workers put up the main hip trusses on the roof of the church. The trusses span the center of the cross shape of the sanctuary, making the roof solid. Although they are now going with a steel roof instead of the traditional wood one, workers plan to maintain the historical integrity of the church. 

"It's just such a wonderful sign of hope. We've used the phrase 'rising from the ashes' over and over again and this is just one more time when we are looking up there and saying "yes, it's happening." It was a tragedy and we just spoke at our meeting on Sunday about how many people still feeling the grief, but this is a type of hopeful thing that helps each of us continue to heal," Christine Behnke with Trinity Lutheran Church said. 

The project is set to be completed in 2022. The total cost is estimated to be $13 million.