Fire damages church building, contents, but not spirit of parish

Published: 2004-01-21

BURLINGTON, Colo. (CNS) -- The thought that a lighted candle had tipped over and ignited the blaze at St. Catherine of Siena Church in the early hours of Jan. 9 crossed the minds of two firefighters who are lifelong members of the parish. But when the volunteer force of the Burlington Fire Department extinguished the 4 a.m. fire and exhaust fans cleared the smoke, that thought was quickly snuffed out. "Within 30 seconds, I realized it was a crime scene," said Capt. Darren Erker, the first firefighter on the scene. Beyond suspected arson and vandalism, however, was the evidence of desecration of elements sacred to the Catholic tradition of worship. In the weeks following the arson, agents from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms began investigating the case. No suspects have been named or possible motives released. Early damage estimates were $250,000-$300,000. "The church has been packed every Sunday, and to have this happen is awful. For small-town Burlington, it's quite a tragedy. But people have really rallied around each other," said Jason Sircy, who was the first firefighter inside the building and is a lifelong member of St. Catherine.

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