Chicago, Ill., Feb 4, 2009 / 09:24 am
A fire broke out this morning at Chicago’s Holy Name Cathedral causing major damage to the roof, which had recently undergone renovation.
According to local news reports, the fire started in the pitched section of the roof called the cockloft at around 5:30 this morning. Two hours later, firefighters had contained the fire, which was prevented from spreading into other sections of the church.
After touring the cathedral, Cardinal Francis George told reporters that the cathedral's roof would have to be rebuilt and that water damage from the efforts to put the fire out was extensive. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
"Chicago has always bounced back from fires and I think we'll bounce back from this," Cardinal George told the Chicago Tribune.
The original Holy Name Cathedral was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire. Following its destruction, parishioners pulled together and built the current cathedral, opening it in 1875.