By CatholicVote | Created at 2024-10-21 22:08:55 | Updated at 2024-10-24 00:26:27
2 days ago
CV NEWS FEED // The bishop of the diocese of Tucson, Arizona sent a message of hope to a Catholic parish community after a fire severely damaged the interior of their church on October 18.
The fire broke out just after midnight at St. Anthony Padua Catholic Church in Casa Grande, according to a report from local news outlet KVOA. It scorched the interior of the church, nearby offices, and storage.
News outlet Arizona’s Family reported that Casa Grande Fire Chief Dave Kean said firefighters responded to the scene and first found the church’s storage shed on fire. The flames spread from there, marring much of the interior of the church.
Firefighters defeated the blaze by 1:30 a.m., according to Arizona’s Family. No injuries were reported. It is unclear whether the fire harmed the Blessed Sacrament.
KVOA reported that Casa Grande Fire Marshal Frank Ricci estimated that the blaze caused “about 65 to 70 percent loss of this [the church’s] structure.”
Fr. Ariel Lustan posted on the parish’s Facebook page that efforts to restore the church will be underway.
Parishioners will be able to attend Mass at the church’s community hall for the time being, KVOA reported.
In a statement posted on October 20 to the parish’s Facebook page, Bishop Edward Weisenburger of Tucson shared a message of empathy and encouragement with the parish community.
Bishop Weisenburger said that he is “deeply grieved by the damage and destruction that has taken place at your beloved parish church.”
“The damage to your parish church is a wound that strikes deeply to the soul,” Bishop Weisenburger said, highlighting how Catholic churches “are imbued with holiness by the presence of the Blessed Sacrament,” as well as various sacramentals and grace from the Sacraments.
He encouraged the parish community to find healing and strength by God’s grace, reminding them that the church is not built upon material resources but rather “upon a foundation of faith, hope, and love,” which provided a dwelling place for God.
The bishop emphasized that “we WILL do as [those in past generations] did, and once again build a structure to God’s glory — a structure that will be beautiful, functional, and a witness to our faith, our hope, and our love today.”
He reiterated that “the grace of God heals all wounds” and noted that he is praying daily, remaining concerned and committed “to be of every assistance as you move forward in faith.”
He concluded: “May St. Anthony of Padua hold us in his heart and present our needs to Jesus Christ Our Lord, whose love for us can inspire us to be His Saints today.”
The fire department does not suspect foul play in the cause of the fire, according to KVOA. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is assisting the department in its investigation of the fire’s cause, Arizona’s Family reported.
This is not the first fire at an Arizona Catholic church this year. In May, St. William Catholic Church in Avondale, Arizona, burned down in an overnight fire.
