Hearing the explanation from Hiro, Rosaline collected herself and sighed in relief.
Of course, the other and deeper factor was that this small island was most likely a node of faith energy, and plenty of the faith energy was concentrated in the air.
That old priest was most likely praying to galvanize the energy onto this location.
In a populated city where the government is openly and secretly contending with the church, such a setup was most likely to fail brilliantly.
Bzzzt!
The oval structure flickered to life as dense energy waves rolled out. Slowly, a dimensional gate took shape before everyone's eyes.
"Don't be afraid, children of faith!" Shouted the old man. "Keep reverence in your heart and the Lords will watch over you!"
Then, he stepped aside while the nuns made an inviting gesture, allowing the different parties to proceed in batches into the gate.