A Catholic church in Salem, Oregon, was rededicated on Monday, three years to the day after it was severely damaged in an arson attack.
St Joseph’s Catholic Church, the oldest Catholic church in Salem, was rededicated in a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland. About 2,000 people were in attendance, reported local news outlet KOIN.
While it was important that the church building had been restored and was once again available for worship, Archbishop Sample reminded those in attendance at the Mass that “Church” is more than just a building.
“We are the Church. The church is a building, a beautiful place of worship,” said Archbishop Sample. “But we are the living stones of the Church. We are the Church in this part of Salem. Don’t keep what we do here inside these walls, take it out to the community. We are the light.”
Three years ago, the scene at St Joseph’s was much different. At about 2:30am, firefighters were called to the scene after a dumpster was found to be on fire. By 3am, the fire had spread to the entire roof of the church.
Police arrested a 48-year-old man named Billy James Sweeten later that day. In 2024, he pleaded no contest to arson and was sentenced to three years in prison. He has since been released.
The damage was so severe that nearly everything – except for the concrete walls and flooring – had to be gutted and rebuilt. The firm CBTWO Architects designed the church’s renovation. Updating the church to modern building and safety codes extended the length of the renovation by about a year, said the Statesman Journal.
Aaron Terpening, the design principal, told the Statesman Journal that he was inspired by the church’s collapsed original roof to include an oculus skylight in the new church building.
“Several of us very early on, when we came in here right after the fire and saw that, we thought of the idea,” said Terpening.
He continued: “The light was coming in, and we just thought this is what it should be. It should have some natural lighting. Then it was just a matter of making sure [there] wasn’t a theological reason not to do it.”
For the last three years, the parishioners of St Joseph’s have met in the school’s gymnasium for Mass. Despite the obvious trials, Fr Jeff Meeuwsen, pastor of St Joseph’s, said his parish has been resilient and remained faithful the whole time.
“We haven't missed a day of Mass, we haven't missed any sacraments, any baptisms, any weddings, any quinceañeras – we did them all,” Meeuwsen said to the Statesman Journal.
The parish documented its rebuilding efforts on its Facebook page. The marble altar was installed on Friday, August 28, and the tabernacle was put in place on the high altar the day before. A fresco is due to be painted later in September.
Fr Meeuwsen arrived at St Joseph’s about two months before the fire. He was safely evacuated from the church’s rectory during the blaze.
“It’s been an emotional three years,” Fr Meeuwsen told KOIN.
“I’m just very grateful to the community for not giving up and for staying together and coming to give glory to God today,” he added.
