The fire-damaged Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Fort Scott, Kansas, on August 30, 2022. / Kenny Felt
Newsroom in Washington, D.C., August 30, 2022, 16:00 (CNA).
Monday night and early Tuesday morning were spent battling a fire at a Catholic church in Fort Scott, Kansas by many fire units.
On August 29, about 9 p.m., fire crews responded to reports of a fire at Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church. They observed that the building’s southeast corner was ablaze. The fire was extinguished successfully, although the chapel was still smoking around midday on August 30.
The Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church, a historic church from the late 1800s, was severely damaged by fire recently. Despite the considerable damage to the church, the altar, cross, and many statues appear to have escaped the flames and rubble relatively unscathed. pic.twitter.com/9t50dcsxU8
— Catholic News Agency (30 August 2022) (@cnalive)
Kenny Felt, a photographer from Fort Scott, was filming the fire as over 500 onlookers observed. He told CNA that he overheard firefighters decide that statues may be the greatest hope for salvaging artifacts from the fire. However, he reported that a priest there told the firefighters that he was determined to save “the Communion things.”
“He was obviously concerned about such matters,” Felt stated. Felt, who is not Catholic, believes that the priest was Father Yancey Burgess, the church’s pastor. Sergeant Bill Downey Jr., a spokeswoman for the Fort Scott Police Department, confirmed that Burgess was the priest who retrieved the objects for Communion.
During the fire, photographs taken by Felt depict Burgess, followed by a firefighter, groping for items on the altar. Prior to publishing, CNA reached out to Burgess for comment but received no response.
During the fire, Father Yancey Burgess, pastor of Mary Queen of Angels, collects artifacts from the altar beside a firefighter. Kenny Felt
According to a statement from the Fort Scott Fire Department, one firefighter has been released from the medical center after suffering a minor injury.
Along with local fire officials, the Kansas State Incident Marshal’s office is launching an inquiry into the fire at the 19th-century church.
The statement read, “Our hearts and prayers are with the parishioners of St. Mary’s Church and the members of our community who have been affected by this tragedy.”
Downey told CNA on Tuesday that the cost of the damage has not yet been assessed.
Photos and videos of the aftermath depict massive damage to the church, including the complete destruction of the roof. However, the altar, a crucifix, and other statues appear to be entirely unharmed by the fire or rubble.
Despite the damage, the parish school stated online on Tuesday that “all signs are that we will be able to reconstruct.” Tuesday’s classes were canceled for safety reasons, according to the notice.
The post stated, “There is no faith community more devout, fierce, or determined than ours.” “God will bring us out of this situation stronger than ever!”
The church is located within the Wichita Diocese. On Tuesday, the diocese requested prayers for the parish community on its Facebook page.