BENWOOD, W.Va. — A fire ripped through St. John Catholic Church in Benwood late Monday night.
When fire crews from throughout Marshall County arrived on the scene at shortly after 10 p.m. they found the building full of smoke and flames with flames shooting into the sky.
“During this holiest of weeks on the Christian calendar, we are terribly saddened by the news of a devastating fire at St. John Church in Benwood,” said Wheeling-Charleston Diocese Bishop Michael Bransfield. ” I have spoken with our pastor there, Fr Bekeh Utetitang, and although he is very shaken, we know that he made it out of the structure and is unharmed..”
“I join the Benwood community at this hour in prayer, and we thank the brave firefighters and first responders who are working so hard to battle this fire at St. John’s. I ask the residents of the Ohio Valley to pray for the residents of Benwood and the people of St John Parish. Let us pray together that nobody is harmed as a result of this tragic fire,” Bransfield said.
There were no injuries in initial reports from the scene.