Posted on 06/29/2013 7:28:00 PM PDT by iowamark
DANBURY, CT - St. Nicholas Church, founded in the city 90 years ago, was decimated by fire Saturday afternoon.
"My guess is the church is totaled," said Fire Chief Geoff Herald as fire crews from out the area shot cascades of water over its collapsed roof and into the gold-dome church on Pembroke Road.
The Rev. John Cigan, the church's pastor, who had held services in the church Saturday morning, sobbed as he watched firefighters battle the blaze and was too overcome with emotion to speak about the loss.
"It's awful," said church member Donna Stelzel, as steam and gray smoke clouded the blue sky. "I came here to pray. All I can do is cry."
Firefighters rushed to the scene about 2 p.m. Saturday after receiving a call about the blaze. Volunteer units from throughout the area joined the Danbury department at the scene.
After firefighters had the blaze under control, they continued to pour water into the church to make sure the fire was extinguished.
Water poured out of St. Nicholas' front door and cascaded down the church's front steps. Firefighters had to break the church's stained-glass windows to get water inside.
"I wish I didn't have to look," church member Steve Sedlak said. "I helped build that church."
St. Nicholas Church is a Byzantine Catholic Church. While it uses the rites of the Greek Orthodox Church, it is part of the Roman Catholic Church.
The church first was located on Roberts Avenue near Western Connecticut State University in 1923. Having outgrown that small chapel, it moved to its new location on Pembroke Road and opened its doors to parishioners in 1996.
Stelzel said the church brought some of the elements of Roberts Avenue -- including some stained glass windows -- and installed them into the new church...
(Excerpt) Read more at newstimes.com ...
May the rebuild bigger and with more members!
Prayers for you and your church too.
It is not my church. I will help them anyway I can though,
Some of their members might show up at your church — that’s what I was thinking.
And as they rebuild they will need water and food.
You think wrong. Those who are fixated on the supposed etymology of the word “decimate” need to check an actual dictionary. This is a perfectly acceptable usage.
1: to select by lot and kill every tenth man of
2: to exact a tax of 10 percent from
3 a: to reduce drastically especially in number
b: to cause great destruction or harm to (firebombs decimated the city) (an industry decimated by recession)
In Somers (NW CT, bordering MA) a church burned in Jan 2012. It was ruled suspicious.
The sanctuary portion, which was destroyed, was built in the 1870’s IIRC, while a addition in the late 1990’s and 60’s were damaged. In the Somers case, code only required new or renovated construction meet current codes. These codes required proper egress, lighting, etc. However, they did not require monitored fire alarms, only local to notify people in the building. Because of that the FD only was notified when a resident several houses down smelt and saw heavy smoke in the area and called 911.
In the Danbury case, I doubt people were (legally) in the building at the time, and if alarms weren’t monitored it’s too late to do anything.
This was supposedly taken showing the first responding units in Somers. A church will go from smoke to fully involved in minutes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cvg2j480dE
Burn Christian Churches, behead their priests, vandalize them in the name of “Justice” for that cause or this one. In the end the Church will survive—When America’s back is too the wall, and enemies are at the gates these churches will be full of praying citizens on the knees hoping for salvation. That day may well not be that far off.
The OED does not agree
Praying and ARMED citizens as well. Stuff like this is what will bring about no only praying citizens but maybe even those who will end up revolting.
God Bless my Eastern Rite Catholic brothers and sisters.
I heard about it in the news and it looks like it was acident or acidential is how this fire has started.
Where's Bill Clinton and his childhood memories when you need them?
Maybe the OED should learn to speak American./s
I understand Rachel Jeantel will be teaching a course.
probably teen aged satin worshippers...
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