Fox10 Phoenix / Screenshot
Nearly eight months after a devastating fire tore through St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Casa Grande, Arizona, the parish is preparing to demolish the 65-year-old building and replace it.
Bishop Emeritus Gerald Kicanas of the Diocese of Tucson issued an official decree authorizing the demolition, calling the structure unsafe and beyond reasonable repair, Casa Grande Dispatch reported.
The church had been closed since the fire, which occurred in the early morning of Oct. 18 and caused extensive damage to the interior and surrounding rooms. CatholicVote reported that authorities determined the fire had been set intentionally. Although surveillance footage captured the suspect, no arrest has been made.
According to the pastor, Father Ariel Lustan, the demolition is scheduled to take place July 28. The decision followed a series of meetings with diocesan officials and the church’s corporate board, culminating in both civil and ecclesiastical approval to proceed.
“This is the best way to move forward,” Fr. Lustan said.
He described himself as “devastated” by the situation.
“It’s been my church for almost 11 years now that I have served,” he said. “We did a lot for that church, so we never discount the feelings of the people that [are] so sad about the reality.”
While some considered relocating to other diocesan property, Fr. Lustan said the parish will rebuild on the current Second Street site. Repairing the old church was deemed unfeasible, and moving to a new location was considered too expensive.
The new church will feature an “entirely different design,” but some elements of the original will be preserved and incorporated into the new building, according to the pastor. He said he hopes to reuse the cross, pulpit, and altar.
Some of the original stones may be incorporated into features of the new church, such as its baptismal font — an idea Fr. Lustan described as “very symbolic” and reflective of “the rebirth of the church.”
In a farewell Mass July 27, parishioners will have a chance to say goodbye to the building that hosted sacraments for generations.“We are saying goodbye to this house and we are building a new house,” Fr. Lustan said. “[T]he life of the community continues.”
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