A Catholic church in Henry County was destroyed by fire early Saturday morning, sparking a criminal investigation.
St. Anne Catholic Church has served New Castle since 1924. The church was supposed to hold Mass Saturday night, one of two services scheduled for Easter weekend, 6News' Stacia Matthews reported.
Fire crews were alerted to the blaze at about 7:45 a.m. as thick smoke billowed from the rear of the church.
Firefighters aggressively fought the flames, but the blaze had already overtaken much of the structure and it was too hot for crews to get inside.
High winds and the church's architecture hampered efforts to put out the flames, which crews battled for about six hours.
"It's a considerable amount of damage. We feel like it's a total loss," said New Castle Fire Chief Ronnie Rigney. "To estimate how much the money figure is a million-and-a-half, I'd say."
Investigators said the fire began in the northwest corner of the basement and that there is clear evidence a criminal act occurred. However, officials stopped short of calling the blaze a result of arson.
Nearby homes were spared and there were no injuries.
"We're very thankful on this holiday season that we did not also complicate matters by having a firefighter injured," said State Fire Marshal Roger Johnson.
Parishioners, while distraught, were thankful that there were no activities at the church when the fire began.
"Everybody was supposed to be here for choir practice. They were supposed to have class and practice for vigil tonight and nobody was here. So, it was a blessing in disguise, actually," said Brooke Adkins, the church's choir director.
Church leadership vowed to carry on despite what had happened.
"We're going to celebrate. It's the season of new life and we will experience new life from those ashes," said Sister Shirley Gerth.
About 750 parishioners attend St. Anne. They will meet at Bundy Auditorium at 8 a.m. Sunday for Easter service.
Federal, state and local authorities have combined resources to determine who set the fire and why.
