In Saint-Omer, residents and parishioners were devastated by the fire that ravaged the Immaculate Conception church on Monday, September 2.
The major fire at the Immaculate Conception church in Saint-Omer on Monday, September 2 shocked residents, especially local residents. Around fifty of them were evacuated while firefighters extinguished the danger.
“I have a lot of emotion and I don’t know how to get it out. I had to evacuate my son with a sheet because he saw a rain of fire, it was quite impressive,” Angela told BFMTV.
About ten local residents were unable to return home on Monday evening. Some parishioners stressed their attachment to this place of worship, like Jacqueline. “I did everything in this church, I was baptized, I was confirmed, I took my communion, I got married.”
“It had just been renovated, so I feel like crying,” laments Eric, referring to the complete restoration completed in 2018.
A local resident raised the alarm
Sébastien, a neighbor, says he raised the alarm around 4 a.m. “I was woken up by strange crackling noises, there were flames two or three meters high coming out of the sacristy. And so, I immediately called for help, the firefighters,” he testifies to BFM Grand Littoral.
Thanks to the action of 120 firefighters, the fire was contained on Monday morning, but the church bell tower collapsed, the prefecture told AFP. Surrounded by fire engines, the church was showing the black metal skeleton of its bell tower at midday, an AFP journalist noted.
The cause of the fire was not known on Monday. An investigation has been opened, under the authority of the Saint-Omer prosecutor, the prefecture said.
Liturgical works and objects put under cover
For the parish priest, Sébastien Roussel, the most important thing was to have been able to save the sacred elements inside the building. The prefecture indicated this Monday evening that “the unit for the preservation of works was engaged” and “20 objects of worship” were able to be recovered and put to safety.
“The most important works were recovered. Then, most importantly, the Blessed Sacrament was not touched, so it was recovered and we were able to put the Lord in another church,” the priest said.
The bishop will celebrate a mass this Wednesday from 9:15 a.m. at the Notre-Dame-des-Miracles basilica in Saint-Omer.
Morgane Dubeau, Clement Kaminski with Florent Bascoul
