(OSV News) – A suspected arsonist was struck at Blessed Sacrament Church in the town of Regina, Saskatchewan, Feb.
CCTV footage captured the perpetrator in the act in the early hours of the morning, but the perpetrator was never caught.
Father James Hentges, the priest of the Blessed Sacrament, said he was not in the church at the time, but the new technology alerted him to the fire.
“The alarm went off immediately when we saw the smoke,” said Father Hentges. “My Apple iPods set off an alarm and alerted me … there was an alarm going off in my home.”
The 48-second video posted by the priest on his personal Instagram account, jameshentges, shows a masked worker pouring material from a fuel tank near the front door of the church and the office of the church. Then the unsuspecting person tried to set the contents of the can on fire. The entrance was quickly engulfed in flames.
According to a news release from the Regina Police Service, police were dispatched around 3:40 am to respond to the fire after receiving a report from a passerby. Firefighters were on scene when police arrived.
Photos provided to The Catholic Register, Canada’s national Catholic newspaper based in Toronto, show that the outside of the door is on fire. According to the Archdiocese of Regina, there was heavy smoke in the church, but the church escaped damage.
“Our crews were able to contain the fire outside,” said Gord Hewitt, Regina’s deputy fire chief. “Inside, there was only smoke, which we managed to ventilate (from) the property.”
“The parish is very thankful that the house was empty at the time and there was no more pain or damage,” said Deacon Eric Gurash, the Regina Archdiocese’s director of communications and evangelism. “Authorities are investigating what happened, and the church community is grateful for the quick response of Regina firefighters and the safety measures that helped defuse the situation.”
Hewitt confirmed that his team conducted “an investigation” and concluded that “it was an intentional fire.” The fire department is providing details to the Regina Police Service to assist in its investigation.
The damage and cleanup required that all festivities be canceled until Ash Wednesday, Feb.
The church and police are seeking the public’s help in identifying the suspect.
Quinton Amundson is a staff writer for The Catholic Register, Canada’s national Catholic newspaper based in Toronto.
The post of the alleged arsonist at the Catholic church in the province of Saskatchewan in Canada was first reported on OSV News.
