The Catholic community in Casa Grande is still grieving after the fire at their beloved parish, St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church. In the early hours of Friday, October 18, 2024, flames ignited near the west side of the building, significantly damaging the interior, particularly near the southern choir area and smoke damage throughout the church. Before and after Casa Grande’s Fire Chief David Kean says the cause of the fire is still under active investigation.
When pastor Fr. Ariel Lustan first entered the church after the fire, he was “expecting the worst,” he said. “When I saw it personally for the first time, it was just terrible.”
Smoke badly ruined much of the interior, damaging pews, unique chalice-shaped light fixtures, original paintings, statues, stained-glass windows, and stations of the cross. The tabernacle and altar, which were near the area of the church most affected by the fire, were not destroyed.
“We will rise from it,” said Fr. Lustan. “The surrounding community of Casa Grande sent many expressions of support, not just from parishioners but also non-Catholics. I was very touched by that.”
Fr. Lustan says there were no interruptions to the liturgical and ministerial life of the parish. “We are still here for the people,” he said. The 6,000 registered parishioners have been gathering for Mass in the parish’s community center.
This weekend, Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger visited Casa Grande to celebrate Mass with the parishioners of St. Anthony of Padua. “I was deeply saddened by the tremendous damage to the interior of the Church,” said Bishop Weisenburger. “While I’m pleased that an analysis by structural engineers indicates that the building is safe to rebuild, it will take a lot. As much as I was shocked by the damage of the church, I was far more moved by the commitment and resilience of the parishioners. They have pulled together wonderfully and are truly ‘being Church’ while they wait for the building to be repaired. It is a sign of faith, life, and trust.”
Fr. Lustan says he and all the parishioners were "delighted by Bishop’s visit and his inspiring homilies at the 8am and 10am Masses he presided over. He also had the chance to see the inside of the church prior to celebrating the Masses. He was very sorry for us, to say the least, upon seeing the aftermath of the fire. Despite the tragedy that struck us, we are still relatively blessed to have a place to worship, our parish hall, while other church communities do not. In his homily, Bishop said that, just as Bartimaeus in the Gospel threw his cloak off, his only sense of security (symbolically) and followed the Way (Jesus), maybe the Lord is also inviting us to not be complacent with what we already have but rather we should keep asking ourselves what more can we do for others as we resolutely follow Jesus, the Way."
Please continue to pray for Casa Grande’s community of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church as they set their sights on the future of rebuilding the parish church.