Arson blamed in burning of Brooklyn ‘Occupy Sandy’ church

[IDemo]

Source: RawStory

A two-alarm fire has severely damaged an Episcopal church in Brooklyn, NY that has been serving as a storage and distribution hub for the Occupy Sandy relief effort, just two days ahead of Christmas. According to CBS News New York, fire department officials say that the blaze was intentionally set.

The fire reportedly broke out around 4:00 a.m. on Monday at Brooklyn’s Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew in Clinton Hill. More than 100 firefighters responded to the scene, bringing the blaze under control in about an hour. Much of the damage was to the church’s lobby area and no injuries were reported.

“The ceiling’s gone, the walls and doors are all burned out,” church rector Rev. Michael Sniffen told Alex Silberman of WCBS. Fortunately, he reported, nothing in the sanctuary was damaged and the church hopes to hold Christmas Eve services as scheduled.

Father Chris Ballard said, “We believe that it was arson. There are some gas cans that were found at both entrances. So, it was intentional. Services have been canceled for today and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are on hold. We probably won’t be able to get back into the church by then but this is the season of reconciliation and what darkness lives in the hearts of the person who did this, we don’t know. But this is the season to forgive and try to be compassionate for the illness that this person has.”



Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/12/24/arson-blamed-in-burning-of-brooklyn-occupy-sandy-church/

[Hissyspit]

1. That's the Occupy Sandy church!

Since superstorm Sandy hit, the church has been a hub for volunteers helping out in the relief effort.

“I don’t know who would do this, especially around Christmas,” volunteer Kelly Gunther told Silverman.

Occupy Sandy volunteers have used the church to store goods for residents in need.

Three volunteers were sleeping inside the church at the time the fire broke out, Dardashtian reported.

“Luckily, we had people here to catch it in time and got the call in real quick,” a volunteer named Sparky told CBS 2?s Dardashtian.

“Since about a week after the storm, we’ve been using this location as a main distribution hub sending cleaning supplies, immediate aid, first aid supplies, non-perishable foods,” Sparky said. “Basically, any needs the communities have reported to us, we’ve put them through an Amazon and We Pay wedding registry and sent them out to the field.”

[IDemo]

2. Updated the thread

The original link had next to no info in the allowed first four sentence/paragraphs.

[In_The_Wind]

3. It was a beautiful church.

[img][/img]

[Hissyspit]

4. It's this one:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021908383

...where I delivered supplies in DU's name at the end of November.

[Hissyspit]

6. I believe they were distributing toys today.

Or it was a meeting place for people who wanted to go do the distribution.

[Summer Hathaway]

5. 'Tis the season ...

"... but this is the season of reconciliation and what darkness lives in the hearts of the person who did this, we don’t know. But this is the season to forgive and try to be compassionate for the illness that this person has.”

Father Ballard sounds like a true Christian.

[ReRe]

7. And evil marches on...

...and I'm sorry, but my mind wonders to MB. Talk me down from my Christmas Eve "cliff."

[bvar22]

8. Only the sickest of the SICK...

...could do this,
and only the most evil of the haters
could take joy from this.

I find it very difficult to find "compassion" for these haters.
Tonight, they are my enemies.
I will try to let that go.

[movonne]

9. I think there could be a little more to this

story...were they put on the terrorist list...

[snot]

10. If only the FBI

would take a moment from surveilling Occupy to glance at the RWingnuts.

[DakotaLady]

11. A darkness in their heart ...

...indeed ~~~ I'm so sad.

Wanting all this madness to just stop.

Police woman shot - Firemen shot at and two killed - Maybe poisonous gas in Syria