Hundreds of people gathered for worship on Sunday at a church in Arizona after a fire that might have been arson damaged the main worship area.
St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Case Grande, Arizona, was damaged by a fire that occurred last week, with members worshiping at the church’s community center.
“It’s hard,” church attendee Betty Zambrano told 12News earlier this week. “I cried when I learned about it, went home and told my husband, and I said this is sad.”
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In a separate statement to the local news outlet, Lynn Wilson, a longtime member of the church, said she is still in “disbelief” and feels “grief and immense sadness.”
While Father Ariel Lustan, pastor at St. Anthony of Padua, said that he shares in his community’s mourning, he also expressed gratitude for the prayers and support the church has received.
“We will rise from this,” he told 12News, adding that investigators haven’t yet ruled out the possibility that an arsonist started the fire.
In a statement on St. Anthony of Padua’s Facebook page following the fire, Lustan discouraged people from speculating about the cause of the fire and urged them to wait for authorities to conclude their investigation.
Lustan also assured parishioners that, in addition to Mass, the church will conduct confession, weddings, funerals and quinceañeras as scheduled in the community center.
“While the exterior of the church seems relatively okay, we cannot tell what was the damage inside especially on the sanctuary/altar and choir area as access to the church is still restricted pending the conclusion of the investigation being done by the fire department and [the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives],” he wrote.
Lustan confirmed that the church’s insurance company and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson are working closely with St. Anthony’s and offering advice.
Regarding the origins of the fire, the Casa Grande Fire Department said in an Oct. 18 statement that the flames ignited at the west side of the church building near electronic and music amplification equipment.
“It spread to the offices and storage areas and hallway just adjacent. It also significantly burned the south pew area,” the department explained. “The main worship area was also damaged by heavy smoke and some fire.”
According to the fire department, the church was empty at the time of the fire, and no injuries have been reported. The department confirmed that it received assistance from the ATF.
“We have no reason to believe that foul play was involved, but due to the high dollar loss and the fact that it is a place of worship they are assisting us,” the fire department stated. “We ask that you please avoid the area.”
At the time of reporting, investigators have yet to confirm if the fire at the church is connected to Proposition 139 in Arizona, a ballot initiative to amend the state constitution to provide a “fundamental right to abortion.”
Following the leak in the U.S. Supreme Court case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization followed by the overturning of Roe v. Wade, radical abortion activists vandalized and set fire to multiple pro-life pregnancy centers and churches. A group called “Jane’s Revenge” took credit for most of the vandalism, at one point declaring an “open season” on churches and pregnancy resource centers.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
