Arson fire at Catholic church in Franklin, Massachusetts leads to $10,000 reward offer
FRANKLIN - A fire at a Catholic church in Franklin is a case of arson, the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal said Thursday. They're now looking for help from the public with a reward.
No one was hurt when flames broke out in St. Mary's Church around 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, but there was extensive damage from the smoke.
Church fire intentionally set
In a statement Thursday, the Fire Marshal's office said the fire was intentionally set, "Based on an examination of the scene, witness interviews, and other evidence gathered throughout last night and this morning."
The Fire Marshal's office announced a $5,000 reward for information. On Thursday afternoon, the ATF said it would match up to $5,000, increasing the reward to $10,000.
"We're asking anyone with information on this fire to share it with investigators," State Fire Marshal Jon Davine said. "Call the Arson Watch Reward Program at 1-800-682-9229. Tipsters can remain anonymous if they wish."
"Hard to look at"
"I took a quick look and there is quite a bit of smoke and water in there," parishioner Dan Lyons told WBZ-TV Thursday. He's one of 4,000 people who belong to the parish, which has been in Franklin for nearly 150 years.
"I was baptized here, so I'm 78, so I've been going there for that long. It's hard to look at, yes it is, it really is," said Lyons.
"We were here last night really trying to remove as much of the smoke odor as possible," said Steven Gilmore, the owner of Service Master Recovery Management. He's been assessing the damage.
"By the time the scaffolding goes in, the entire church has to be cleaned, they're looking at a good month before they can get back in. So it's a pretty sad situation," Gilmore told WBZ.
Outdoor Mass scheduled
The parish is now rescheduling baptisms, funerals and meetings. They're asking parishioners to check their website for updates.
Rachel Ferullo was looking forward to her son's baptism on Saturday. "The baptism is really important to us. So, we wanted to try to get it done as soon as possible," said Ferullo. "We go every Sunday... and we still will make that sure he gets baptized at St. Mary's."
An outdoor Mass will be held Sunday at 10 am behind St. Mary's School. Parishioners are encouraged to bring chairs.
"Houses of worship play a vital role in every community, and our hearts go out to everyone who made St. Mary's a part of their lives," Franklin Fire Chief James Chief McLaughlin said in a statement.
