KTLA)
Posted on 04/16/2011 12:28:31 PM PDT by BenLurkin
A fire engulfed and destroyed a Catholic church in Hacienda Heights along the 1300 block of Turnbull Canyon Road.
The blaze broke out at St. John Vianney shortly after midnight on Saturday. The priest, who was asleep in the rectory adjacent to the church, realized the building was on fire when he heard loud popping noises.
The church was fully engulfed when fire crews and arson investigators arrived on scene. Authorities said the fire was raging hottest in the auditorium of the church. They said the wooden pew inside the auditorium accelerated the blaze.
It took firefighters several hours to get the fire under control. Crews were able to stop the fire from spreading to the rectory and also saved precious relics from inside the church.
The church was completely destroyed with damage estimates at approximately $9 million.
"Keeping the faith, we'll build it again," said another parishioner.
No injuries were reported.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
If you have any information regarding the fire, you're urged to contact arson investigators at (323) 881-7500.
(Excerpt) Read more at abclocal.go.com ...
That’s the last time I stand next to a church.
Would you care to explain that remark.
I used to go to this church when I was in high school!
What’s a precious relic? Not trying to demean anybody’s church - it’s a serious question.
KTLA)
Actually, this is extremely interesting since I’m writing a book about the church burnings in Norway in the early nineties. I had a pretty good overview of the investigation at that time, and still have a ton of logs of the online/hidden antics of the burners.
Lately, there have been calls from the atheists for church burnings to start again. It would fit right in the bigger picture.
I hope they catch the person that did this — and soon.
We used to road race on Turnbull Canyon Road through the hills.
Lightning
I meant that tongue in cheek.
As a Catholic, I don’t like to see this.
From what I have heard (second hand) the priest that was treated at the scene had gone into the church to rescue the consecrated Hosts, the Tabernacle and the processional Crucifix.
Understood. Have a blessed Easter.
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