Fire burning at Holy Name Cathedral
<http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1412459,w-holy-name-cathedral-fire-church-020409.article>http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1412459,w-holy-name-cathedral-fire-church-020409.article February 4, 2009 BY MIKE LANSU, ROSEMARY SOBOL, <mailto:[email protected]>KARA SPAK AND KEVIN ALLEN Staff Reporters Fire crews have put out an early-morning blaze that shot throught the roof at Holy Name Cathedral, the 134-year-old Chicago landmark and the seat of Cardinal Francis George. Flames from the three-alarm blaze shot through the church's blackened roof for about an hour before they were replaced by plumes of white smoke. The fire was struck out at around 8 a.m. ยป Click to enlarge image [] According to Fire Media Affairs spokesman Will Knight, the fire started on the "pitch of the roof" of the historic Holy Name Cathedral. (Kevin Allen/For the Sun-Times) No one was hurt. George was inside the church shortly after the fire was out to survey the damage. Church officials say there was extensive water damage, and fire officials were pumping water out of the basement. The fire also burned gaping holes into the roof. Chicago Archdiocese Chancellor Jimmy Lago said he expects the church to be closed for months. He says sacramental records that were kept in a fireproof vault in the rectory are believed to be safe. Lago and Chicago Fire Department officials said the church suffered significant water damage. Priest and nuns were inside the rectory near the cathedral when the fire started, but everyone escaped safely. No one was in the cathedral. One firefighter was injured battling the blaze and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in good to fair condition, Fire Media Affairs spokesman Quention Curtis said. The Rev. Dan Mayall, Holy Name's pastor, said those in the rectory were awakened by a priest knocking on doors. The fire alarm went off, and everyone exited the building safely, Mayall said. Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford said 10 people in the rectory escaped without injury. The fire department got the initial call at 5:29 a.m. for a fire burning in the roof of the cathedral at 735 N. State St. Flames were visible coming from the roof of the church about 6 a.m. Restoration and repair work on the building was recently completed after engineers determined that structural weaknesses in the roof caused a 10-pound piece of decorative wood to fall 70 feet from the ceiling last February. No one was injured in that incident. "We have gone through a lot in the last year and it's a shame to see that we're back to square one again," Mayall said. Parishioner Kathy Sorvillo, 60, lives just a block away and after hearing about the fire on the news, she came to see how bad it was. "To rebuild something so beautiful is going to be hard," she said bundled up against the cold. "I'm really sad, I don't know what we'll do now." The church and its nearby buildings, including a school and rectory, take up an entire block in downtown Chicago. The fire hadn't damaged those buildings. The original Holy Name was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire and the parish rebuilt, opening the new cathedral in 1875. The fire comes amid a $10 million "Restore & Renew" fundraising campaign to renovate and update the cathedral and other structures on its campus. The last major renovation took place in 1968. According to the church's Web site, a 2006 engineering study found "several critical items" in need of updates, including fire protection in the rectory and replacement of the roof membrane. The church had already replaced its floors and refinished pews. The church, built in the Gothic revival style, can seat 1,520 people and has a 70-foot vaulted ceiling. Its spire reaches 210 feet. <*}}}>< <http://astore.amazon.com/halthekin-20>Catholic on Amazon <*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://www.holypostage.com/>Holy Postage <*}}}>< <*}}}><<http://www.halfthekingdom.org/>Half the <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/>Kingdom!<*}}}>< + "The fruit of abortion is nuclear war" - Bl. Mother Teresa + --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Please note that I do not send or open attachments sent to this list. You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Catholics on Fire" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Catholics-on-Fire May the blessing of Jesus and our Blessed Mother be with you -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
