Parishioners of St. Mary's in Franklin, Massachusetts, gathered outdoors to celebrate mass Sunday, the same day a special fund was created to help restore the church after someone allegedly intentionally set it on fire last week.
"Due to the unfortunate and unforeseen fire in our church, Fr. Bob is calling our community together, for a simple outdoor Mass," a notice posted to St. Mary's website read.
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People were asked to bring their own seating to the 10 a.m. mass that was held behind the St. Mary School parking lot, the former St. Rocco Festival grounds, where several police officers could be seen on hand.
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Later Sunday, the Franklin Interfaith Council held an event on the town common, "Franklin Celebration of Love and Diversity: Responding to violence with compassion and unity."
The 4 p.m. event was open to the public and was held in the wake of the suspected arson at St. Mary's Parish.
"This is a time to be together, to support each other, to pray and to sing," a social media post promoting the event read.
St. Mary's also announced Sunday that a fire fund had been established to help them restore the church.
"Though insurance will cover many costs, it will not cover the replacement and restoration costs of everything in our church," read a Facebook post announcing the fund.
Due to the heavy smoke damage from the fire in the upper sacristy, all masses, funerals, baptisms and parish meetings were cancelled until further notice, including funeral services for Father Jack Sullivan.
Although there was no structural damage, Father Bob had previously shared a note with the parish community saying they would not be able to use St. Mary’s "for some time while it is cleaned and repaired," adding that he was heartbroken to hear that this incident was an act of arson.
"Now is a time for prayer that God will turn all hearts of violence and hatred into hearts of peace and love," he wrote in a message posted to Facebook. "We pray for those who set this fire and we pray for ourselves that God can give us Hearts of mercy and forgiveness."
Investigators have asked for the public's help as their arson investigation continues into Wednesday's fire that damaged St. Mary's.
Franklin police and firefighters first responded to 1 Church Square around 5:45 p.m. Wednesday after a fire alarm activation and a 911 call. While crews were able to quickly knock the flames down, heavy smoke conditions throughout the building required extensive ventilation.
The church was empty at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported thankfully.
“Houses of worship play a vital role in every community, and our hearts go out to everyone who made St. Mary’s a part of their lives,” Franklin Fire Chief James McLaughlin previously said in a statement.
Based on an examination at the scene, witness interviews and other evidence gathered into Thursday morning, investigators collectively determined that the fire was intentionally set and asked anyone with information to call the Arson Watch reward program at 1-800-682-9229.
Officials are offering up to a $10,000 reward for information that helps the ongoing investigation.
Wednesday's fire came at an already difficult time for the parish, where people were grieving the loss of their beloved Father Jack Sullivan, who died on Oct. 13 after a brief illness.
Both a prayer vigil that was scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday and a funeral set for Thursday had to be cancelled. They will be rescheduled at a future date, St. Mary's has said.
"These events are devastating," Father Bob told the community Thursday. "For me personally I’ve been feeling quite empty. However, God is good, and amid all the devastation and chaos last night, I also experienced the generous care and support of so many parishioners, family and friends. God is on our side."
"While St. Mary’s has endured much suffering and loss in these past few weeks, God is with us, strengthening us with every step forward," Father Bob continued. "St. Mary’s may have been dealt a heavy blow that knocked us down, but we will stand up again, stronger than ever."
