From ENS-It’s not quite a journey into the wilderness, but members of the Episcopal Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn will be leaving their sanctuary during Lent as the church undergoes repairs following a fire two days before Christmas.
Investigators determined the early-morning fire was arson, said the Rev. Michael Sniffen, rector. “The fire was set by somebody pouring gasoline across the entrances to the church and setting it on fire. They have not apprehended anyone, but the investigation is open and it’s being treated as a hate crime.”
They do not believe the Dec. 23 fire was related to the church’s ministry as a major distribution hub for post-Hurricane Sandy relief services, he said. “The investigators didn’t have any reason to believe that it was about anything in particular.”
Church Insurance has been working to determine the extent of the damage and the restoration required, getting estimates from experts in masonry, stained glass and other specialties, but does not yet have a total dollar estimate of the cost of the damage, Sniffen said. Scaffolding will be erected in February, and the congregation will move out of the sanctuary for about 12 weeks while repairs are made. They will worship in one of the church’s parish halls and hold fellowship in another.
More here-
http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2013/01/31/brooklyn-parish-undeterred-by-fire/
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