Fire Damages Queens Church Just Before Sunday Mass
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A fire tore through a Queens church just before Mass Sunday morning, leaving thousands of parishioners devastated.
The FDNY was called to the two-alarm blaze around 5:45 a.m. at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church on 37th Avenue in Corona.
The fierce flames woke up neighbors who recorded the fiery scene, CBS2's Ilana Gold reported.
"It's so sad. It's the beginning of the year," said parishioner Maria Medina.
More than 100 firefighters battled the blaze for two hours before it was brought under control. No injuries were reported.
Sunday's Mass was canceled and it remains unclear when services will be able to resume again.
Father Thomas Healy led a prayer outside after cancelling all eight Masses that were scheduled Sunday.
"We have 9,000 people coming here on Sunday. Can you imagine that?" he said. "And they're all coming because this is home, this is their house and it just burned down."
A crowd of parishioners showed up for Mass, only to find their church burned and damaged.
"This is my house. This is my heart. This is my everything," said parishioner Tadeo Arguido.
The church is a staple in the neighborhood, helping thousands in the Latin American community, Gold reported.
"We're immigrant people. We have nothing. And this church is their only place of security," Healy said.
Church leaders said hundreds of kids planned to open gifts at the church during a special afternoon celebration that had to be canceled.
Healy tried to give strength to his congregation as he looks for support himself, now overwhelmed by the destruction.
"We're all heartbroken, all of us," he said.
Investigators said the fire started on the balcony, where the music director sits during services and gutted most of the second floor, Gold reported.
But the fire won't stop the parish from moving forward.
"Very slowly; we just have to take it one day at a time," Medina said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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