A storm in Grand Isle, Maine, on Wednesday night sent a powerful bolt of lightning through the St. Gerard-Mount Carmel Parish.
The incredible sight was caught on camera by 16-year-old Carl Bouley.
"The fact that I got it on camera makes everything a little more unrealistic in my eyes," said Bouley.
He posted the video on his Facebook page, and received more than 80,000 views in a matter of hours.
WARNING: Explicit language in the video.
Bouley said he saw lightning strike the same church in 2007, so he was hoping to capture the moment on video this time around.
According to the Grand Isle fire chief, the same church was hit by lightning in 2007, WCSH reported. This time, some shingles were knocked off the church and there is some electrical damage to the wiring inside.
A couple of homes near the church also received some electrical damage.
U.S. & World
More storms are expected in parts of New England on Thursday.
John Jensenius, a lightning expert with the National Weather Service, offers simple advice.
"When thunder roars, go indoors," he said.
Jensenius said a lightning bolt going through a cross may seem like a bad omen, but it actually happens relatively regularly. The NWS reports about 200 churches nationwide are struck by lightning each year.
The National Weather Service in Gray recorded nearly 2,000 lightning strikes in Maine Wednesday.
