Rome, NY -- The Rev. Edwina Landry, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Rome, N.Y., was out of town visiting relatives July 16. Then, a tornado blasted through the city.

Landry's cell phone kept ringing. She learned the devastating news: The EF2 tornado, which had peak winds of 135 mph and traveled more than five miles, walloped the city. No one was killed in Rome, but 370 homes were destroyed.

Landry's historic church suffered extensive damage.

"I was just stunned," Landry recalls. "It took my breath away. But I was also grateful no one was in the church at the time, and no one in Rome was killed."

The church, built in 1807, was damaged so badly that it can't be used. Its 181-foot landmark steeple is gone, and the church will have to be repaired.

Landry wondered: What would her congregation do? How would they worship?

She didn't need to worry. The spirit of giving and helping others is strong in Rome. Several churches offered Landry a temporary home.

That same night, Zion Episcopal Church leaders suggested their church, a street away.

"They have been so hospitable," Landry said.

Since July, First Presbyterian's roughly 100 churchgoers have been worshipping at Zion. They just held a joint Christmas Eve service, among several shared services. Other Sundays, they stagger the times of worship. They also have a coffee hour in between so churchgoers can get to know their neighbors.

Using Zion is temporary. At least Landry hopes it is. She and the congregation have launched a restoration fund to pay for the repairs. Rome residents and congregations all over the U.S. have donated.

The fund has about $140,000. She doesn't know yet how much it will cost to repair the church. Likely millions, she said. Landry also doesn't know yet how much insurance will cover.

"We are moved by everyone who has contributed," she said. "It's going to take a lot to put this church back together. But we are committed to rebuild, not just for us but for the community."

Rome residents felt peace and joy when they saw that historic steeple, she said. Seeing it toppled "shook them up," she said.

The tornado, which also toppled St. Mary's Church steeple as well, ripped through the city of 32,000.

It blew the roof off First Presbyterian. The copper-spired steeple at First Presbyterian was blown into the sanctuary, puncturing the basement ceiling as it fell.

The pews were crushed, and offices in the back of the church were damaged. The main walls were unscathed, keeping the church structurally intact. St. Mary's wasn't as lucky. That church is slated for demolition because of extensive damage.

As cranes removed the rubble at First Presbyterian, workers found the piano and organ still standing, Landry said. The top and legs of the piano were cracked, but it can still be played and eventually restored.

"Music is such an important part of our church, that's miraculous,'' Landry said.

Landry said it is also miraculous that all but one of the stained-glass windows survived. The pulpit and cross also remain intact.

The church was built in 1807. Its congregation began with a group of pioneers who lived at Wright's Settlement. They drew up a covenant to worship together.

The parish, which got its start in 1793, is the oldest church establishment in Rome. The church aided the Underground Railroad during the time of the Civil War

Less than a block away, Pat Corbett, a vestry member at Zion Episcopal Church, remembers looking out the back door and seeing the tornado's damage to the church.

"We had escaped the worst of it," Corbett said. "Right away we thought we should reach out and share our church facility since we still had ours."

Landry gratefully agreed, and the congregation didn't miss a service. The two churches have worked on several outreach projects together.

Corbett said First Presbyterian Church members have asked if they can give some money to Zion for using their church. But the Zion leadership refused at this time.

"It's tightened our relationship, and it's a labor of love," Corbett said. "This is part of our Christian mission -- to help people."

On the Sunday before Christmas, Landry said they held their traditional pageant. It tells the Christmas story, with angels, shepherds, sheep, the innkeeper and a donkey witnessing the birth of Jesus.

Landry said she often talks to the congregation about what they went through, "about the trauma of the tornado and also the blessings that have and will continue to come out of it."

She's told both congregations how grateful they are. Her Christmas message will carry that theme.

"There are correlations between there being no room for Jesus in the inn, and yet a place was found for him," she said. "A place was found for us, too."