SAN ANTONIO – The pastor of an East Side church that was damaged by a fire Thanksgiving Day morning said he’s unsure how it might affect Sunday services.
Rev. James Shea cancelled a Thursday morning Mass that was scheduled at St. Gerard Catholic Church.
“We'll probably encourage people to go to one of the other churches rather than sit in a smoke-filled church,” he said early on.
The fire broke out around 2:30 a.m. in a second floor room of the sanctuary building. The church is located on Iowa Street near Gevers, not far from St. Phillip’s College.
Shea said nothing inside the sanctuary was damaged, but smoke did seep throughout the building.
He said he’s convinced someone broke into the church and started the fire, although there were no signs of forced entry.
Fire investigators, he said, found evidence that someone set it.
“There's a stepladder back there and it's leaning up against the wall,” Shea said. “They put the candles without any protection on those candles, wax candles, up the steps. Then they were lit, for some reason."
Firefighters confirmed that the fire appears to be arson.
What baffles Shea, though, is how the fire starter got into the church. He said that person also stole items from the church, including some chalices and wine used for communion.