AMBLER, Pa. (AP) — Fire heavily damaged a 114-year-old church in this Philadelphia suburb early on the day before Christmas.
The flames burned through the oldest part of the Roman Catholic St. Anthony's of Padua, one of seven churches in the region founded by missionary Henry Stommel.
"I heard somebody yell fire, so I hopped out of bed and made sure the other priests in the house were up. We came downstairs and discovered the church was on fire," said the Rev. John Nordean.
Firefighters worked in freezing temperatures for an hour to bring the blaze under control before dawn Sunday. The cause is under investigation, but Wissahickon Fire Chief Phil Koller said engineers speculated it was caused by an electrical problem.
Volunteer firefighters helped to remove paintings, statues and figures from the church's manger scene.