Story highlights None of the 45 people congregated inside the church was harmed after the tornado hit

At least three tornadoes hit east Texas the same night, killing four people

(CNN) Parishioners dropped to the floor and fought the wind to seal the doors to their hallway refuge as a tornado ripped apart their church Saturday night.

About 45 people -- including toddlers and students -- were at the parish hall of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Emory, a town outside of Dallas, Texas, when they received warning that a tornado was approaching.

They decided to take refuge in a hallway between the parish hall and the main part of the church.

"About 30 seconds after we went into the hallway, it hit," said Monica Hughes, a youth minister who was among those gathered at the hall to honor high school graduates.

Hughes told CNN that she and her husband held on tight to double doors to keep them shut. Through a small set of windows on the doors they could see the tornado ripping apart their worship space.

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