MADISON, Wis. -- Two years ago, a fire reduced St. Raphael's Catholic Cathedral in downtown Madison to ruins, and the building remains empty as parishioners wonder about the future.

On Wednesday night, parishioners remembered their loss and considered possibilities for the future of their church.

The diocese held a prayer vigil on the first anniversary of the fire and many listening sessions since then. The bishop said the reason Madison Catholics are still waiting is because it's a decision he's not taking lightly.

"My cousin called up and said, 'Do you know what's happening?' I said 'no,' and she said, 'St. Raphael's is burning,'" said lifelong St. Raphael's parishioner John Purcell. "I could see it across the bay burning and it was really sad."

On the second anniversary of its destruction, Purcell and other dispersed parishioners remembered their loss without new answers.

"I've told several people I'll be dead and buried by the time they drop a brick down," Purcell said.

Bishop Robert Morlino said the decision has taken some time because of its magnitude.

"This is not a decision for the next 10 years. This is a decision for hundreds of years, and I want to pray it through," Morlino said. "I want to do the best I can so a hundred years from now people will say that it was right."

Morlino has been consulting with the Catholic community and with architects on where he could put a cathedral that would hold 1,000 people. He said, at this point, he still believes it should remain downtown.

"I've said many times that I cannot imagine the cathedral would not be downtown, and I'm still there. No one has persuaded me otherwise," Morlino said.

Many of those in the diocese said they feel the same way.

"I'd rather see it where it was, of course I would, but that doesn't mean it's the right place," Purcell said.

Morlino said he will make a decision on where to build the new cathedral after Easter and will release that information to the public by the end of June.