A fire ravaged St. Mary’s Church in Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation Saturday morning. It is believed to be a total loss.
Firefighters from several area volunteer departments were battling the blaze which was discovered at about 10 a.m. Saturday.
Eyewitnesses say the building was filled with fire when firefighters arrived. They tried without success to douse the blaze.
It was first spotted by Sister Margaret Mary O’Doherty, who has served the parish for decades. She drove by and saw smoke coming out of the kitchen side of the building. She immediately called Rocky Boy Police.
Havre Daily News reports the fire had originated in the kitchen of the church and quickly spread throughout the entire building. It was contained by 1 p.m.
Fire spread through the log-cabin-style church that is on a picturesque hill overlooking Rocky Boy.
Fire crews arrived on the scene to put out the blaze. (photos by Misty Brooks)
The church was built by parishioners in the late 1970s after their existing church became difficult to maintain. It had been moved to the reservation after Our Lady of Ransom Church in Hingham built a new church.
Efforts to repair that church were unsuccessful and Rocky Boy Catholics decided to construct their own church.
Most of the trees used to construct the church were native to Rocky Boy.
It served as a church and parish center for the Rocky Boy community since then.
For most of the time, Father Pete Guthneck served as pastor. He retired last year and was replaced by Father Joseph Tran, who also oversees parishes in Box Elder and Big Sandy.
Father Tran told the Herald he was in the woods cutting down a Christmas tree when he got a phone call from Sister Margaret telling him that the fire had broken out.
He said by the time he got back to the church firefighters were already on the scene.
“We will rebuild,” he said, when asked. “The people have put a lot of time and energy into this building.”
Beginning Sunday morning, he said, the 11:30 a.m. Mass that is usually held at St. Mary’s will be offered at St. Anthony’s church in Box Elder.
Despite attempts, firefighters had little chance of saving St.Mary’s Catholic Church. (Misty Brooks, Herald photo)
Editor’s note. This story has been updated.
Email John Kelleher at [email protected]
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