She said the reason for the church's growth is due to what parishioners did during that devastating event.
"A parishioner told me she had big freezers filled with food and, with the electricity out, was going to have to dispose of it," she said. "She suggested that somehow the church give it to people in the community."
While the electricity was out in the church, a light bulb went on in Mansuetto's head.
"We had a four-burner gas stove," she said.
The parishioner brought her thawing food to the church kitchen, and she, Mansuetto and others cooked it up for meals to be served and delivered not only to church members but to anyone in the community in need.
The enterprise grew as the days went on.
"The electricity in our church went on before most of the other buildings in town, so we could use the oven as well as the stove," said Mansuetto. "And we needed it because people from church and the community were bringing us more food to cook."
Someone brought a small commercial grill to the church, and it was parked next to the parsonage. Even more hot meals could be prepared. The project got even bigger.
"Over those days, people dropped off steaks, chicken, pork chops," Mansuetto said. "And firefighters in the congregation enlisted their fellow firefighters to help deliver meals."
Over a four-day period, more than 200 hot meals were prepared, served and delivered, she said. And more than 200 volunteers did the cooking, serving and delivering, she said.
"The project was so community-oriented that the city of Perryville asked us to document the number of volunteers, hours of their work and what services they provided so it could be given to FEMA for reimbursement," Mansuetto said.
As important as FEMA reimbursement would be for the city, the pastor believes something more significant already has been achieved for the town and the church, whose average Sunday attendance has been growing slightly to nearly 50 and is including more and more regular visitors, Mansuetto said.
The experience of coming together and pitching in for a community project planted a seed in the cold winter ground that is bearing fruit this spring and summer, she said.
"We as a church came together to help the community, and many volunteers from the community joined us in our efforts," she said.
"I don't want to overstate this, but I really think this church turned a corner with what we did, with God's help and under God's plan, during the ice storm," she said. "I really believe this was a historic turning point for this historic little church."
