By CatholicVote | Created at 2025-01-16 23:46:14 | Updated at 2025-01-31 00:14:50
2 weeks ago
CV NEWS FEED // A North Dakota fire department is investigating the cause of a fire that caused extensive damage at St. Philip’s Catholic Church in December 2024, according to recent reports.
A parishioner of the Hankinson church called in the fire on the afternoon of Dec. 16. According to the Diocese of Fargo, immediately after the fire was reported, two parishioners rushed into the church and saved the Blessed Sacrament, sacred relics and vestments. The fire was largely concentrated in the attic of the church, causing areas of the ceiling to collapse, according to local news outlet KVRR. No injuries were reported.
Officials had the fire under control by 8:15 p.m. that day, according to the Diocese of Fargo.
The church’s pastor Monsignor Brian Donahue expressed relief and gratitude for the many officials’ support.
“Many thanks go to Hankinson Fire Chief and Hankinson fire personnel along with all firefighters, law enforcement, EMTS, First Responders, and Fire Marshall,” he wrote on the parish website.
He also expressed gratitude for those who have been praying for the church since the fire.
According to the Diocese of Fargo, the Franciscan Sisters of Dillingen have offered their chapel to the St. Philip congregation for Mass. Two Lutheran churches in the area also offered their locations.
The Hankinson Fire Department’s investigation into the fire’s cause is ongoing.
Before the fire, the church was working on a $1.6 million reconstruction project refurbishing its basement and adding an elevator, according to the Diocese of Fargo. Fire officials say there is no relation between the reconstruction project and the recent fire.
St. Philip’s Catholic Church was established in 1910, and is one of the oldest Catholic churches in the Fargo diocese.
According to the Diocese of Fargo, a final determination of necessary repairs and the possible replacement of the church will not be announced until further inspections are completed.
