Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago Engulfed in Flames, Landmark Church was Previously Destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire

Photo: Fox News, Holy Name Cathedral on fire

The landmark Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago is engulfed in flames. Authorities say there is no word yet on what caused the fire that broke out early this morning. Firefighters are still battling the blaze on a brutally cold morning with temperatures barely in the single digits. Smoke continues to stream from the church’s roof.

Father Dan Mayall is Holy Name’s pastor and lives in the rectory that was evacuated when the fire was discovered. Mayall says the inside of the church has significant water damage. He says the fire was reported by a worker who’s part of a crew working to reinforce supports in the historic building.

The original Holy Name was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire and the parish rebuilt, opening the new cathedral in 1875.

Still developing……

Filed under: Chicago Landmark, Church Fire, Holy Name Cathedral

Benjamin Haskell, Michael Jacques and Thomas Gleason, Charged with Torching Macedonia Church of God Hours Ater Obama Wins Election

Photo Source: Mass Live.com

As you will recall, I wrote about the torching of a historically black church in Springfield, Massachusetts, hours after Barack Obama was elected our next president. Well, police has arrested three white men — Benjamin Haskell, Michael Jacques and Thomas Gleason — for the crime. They are currently being held without bail after a hearing in federal court on charges that they deliberating torched the church.

Authorities say the men, all Springfield men in their 20s, initially denied involvement then blamed each other for the idea to burn down the Macedonia Church of God in Christ. A judge continued the hearing until Wednesday and said he is considering setting $100,000 bail with electronic monitoring for the men.

The Nov. 5 fire at the church, which was under construction, destroyed the building with $2 million in damage. The men were charged Friday in a criminal complaint with violating a civil rights conspiracy statute that makes it illegal to injure, threaten or intimidate anyone from exercising their civil rights. No pleas were entered at Friday’s hearing.

There were some commenters who said that I was rushing to judgment and that this was not racially motivated. News flash — it was!

Filed under: Church Fire, Macedonia Church of God, President-elect Barack Obama, Springfield Massachusetts, Violation of Civil Rights Conspiracy Statute