Arson suspected after Indigenous Catholic church was destroyed on Easter

St. Theresa Point Roman Catholic Church caught fire in the mid-afternoon on Sunday. Fortunatly, no injuries were reported in the event.

According to Sgt. Paul Manaigre, officers "were advised that a suspect was observed exiting the church when the fire started."

The suspect in the case has already been caught, with Manaigre noting that the "32-year-old male was placed under arrest for arson and taken into custody."

Chief Marie Wood said that the local parishioners were seen weeping as the church burned. "People from the community, many crying went to watch the church burn," she said.

St. Theresa Point First Nation, a remote community nearly 500 km north of Winnipeg, is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic. The community had already begun fundraising to replace the church, as the building suffered from structural and plumbing problems.

"It is a huge loss; our priest Father Victor Ferdinand bravely stood by, supported by community members," Wood said. "The church bells rang this morning for the last time, as it is Easter Sunday, a great celebration for our community.

"We will work together and recover this huge loss and always have faith that things happen for a reason, please remember the wonderful memories the building holds forever in our hearts."

It is the second church in a Canadian First Nation community to have burned down in recent months. A church in the Ontario First Nation community of Muncey was also burned to the ground in November in another suspected arson attack.