GALLATIN COUNTY, Ill. - Disasters either tend to bring people together or tear them apart. The leap-day EF-4 tornado that hit Gallatin County certainly qualifies as a disaster.

That community continues to show that disaster is bringing them together. After almost a decade of four Catholic congregations sharing some services, they've decided to unite as one.

"It was hard to believe until you actually came by here," said Jim Henson, St. Joseph's Catholic Church Trustee.

Nearly six months ago, that twister leveled St. Joseph's Catholic Church. The 150-year-old landmark stood as a cornerstone in this town.

"It was just really emotional for everybody," said Henson.

For Henson, uncertainty followed.

"No one really knew how this was going to end," he said.

But the site remains chained up. There's not much action. That's slated to change, though.

"We're going to consolidate the four parishes in Gallatin County into one parish," said Father Steven Beatty.

Beatty said that new parish will be built at the site of the Ridgway church.

Parts of the old building like the altar, won't go away. They'll be hallmarks of a bigger building.

Before the storm, mass rotated between the four Roman Catholic Churches in the county, so uniting them seemed like the best step for the future.

"God's hand is with us, and we can see that in a lot of different ways," said Beatty.

The new church will service as the main parish, and the Diocese plans to keep the other three open as chapels.

"We now know where we're headed, and everyone's excited to get there," said Henson.

Father Beatty said they are so early in the planning process they don't know how much the new church will cost, but the building will need to seat between 300 and 400 people. They hope to have it ready in a couple of years.

The Diocese will rename the new church in Ridgway.

Parishioners of all four churches have a say in that process.