A police investigation has been launched after a fire caused the “complete destruction” of the Mary Immaculate Church building in Blackwater, in central Queensland. Source: The Catholic Leader.
On Tuesday at 3am, emergency services attended a “significant fire” at the church building in the Rockhampton Diocese, police said in a statement.
“The fire resulted in the complete destruction of the church and was extinguished shortly before 4am,” they said.
No one was injured and the cause of the fire is unknown. The community are unable to access the site while investigations are ongoing.
As a result, the Tuesday morning Mass was held in the car park.
Parishioners of all ages gathered outdoors and parish priest Fr Kingsley Ihuoma celebrated Mass under the shade of a tree.
All hosts were lost in the fire but Fr Kingsley had one spare and this was shared by the congregation at Communion.
Yesterday’s morning Mass was cancelled with Rockhampton Bishop Michael McCarthy instead celebrating Mass with the parish community at 5pm outside the church.
Mass will be held at the parish centre for the foreseeable future.
Bishop McCarthy said the parish community could be assured of “the prayerful support of myself and all in our diocesan community”.
“They should also know that they will be supported by all the practical resources of our Diocese as they come to terms with their loss,” he said.
In a social media post, the parish said, “Our hearts break to see somewhere so dear to us, gone to rubble, in the blink of an eye,” the church posted on social media.
“The building may be lost, but the Church lives on in each of us. God’s love remains constant, even in the ashes.”
FULL STORY
Fire destroys Mary Immaculate Church in central Queensland (By Kymberlee Gomes, The Catholic Leader)
