Last night, a 5-alarm fire destroyed the inside of the Rock Catholic Church in St. Louis. The Church was over 100 years old, and is known for its limestone exterior. I've driven by it on Grand Ave. many times, and remember seeing some beautiful interior pictures of the Chuch. It is a sad day for the St. Louis Archdiocese; please pray for the parishoners at this very old but vibrant parish, which ministers specially to the area's African-American community. Here's an article describing the fire from FOX News.
The parish will continue to celebrate daily and Sunday Masses in the gym next door (which is, thankfully, undamaged), and the new pastor (who only arrived in town a short while ago) has promised the Church will be rebuilt. Apparently, Archbishop Burke has already pledged an emergency $100,000 grant to help the rebuilding and repair of the Church (thankfully the stone exterior is still intact). The fire is believed to have been started by a bolt of lightning around 6:30 p.m. last night.