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The 156-year-old church of St. James, Roseneath was destroyed in a fire during the evening of April 9. No one was injured.

The church is located just north of the village of Roseneath, about a 25-minute drive north of Cobourg. It is part of the Parish of Campbellford, Hastings and Roseneath. About 15 people worship at the church on a Sunday.

“The land was donated by a local family and the church was built with people’s sweat and hard work,” says the Rev. Bryce Sangster, incumbent. “It’s terrible, very sad.”

He says the congregation will have to plan where to hold its Palm Sunday service this Sunday. It might be held at a local community hall or possibly at the nearby United Church. “We’re going to be exploring options,” says Mr. Sangster.

He says the congregation is sponsoring a refugee family and was looking forward to welcoming them at the church someday. At a Sunday service in March, the church dedicated an altar cloth in memory of a parishioner who had passed away. At the same service, the congregation recognized and thanked a parishioner who had done a lot of work on the church over the years. “Now the church is destroyed and the altar cloth is probably unsalvageable,” he says.  

It was the fourth fire in Roseneath in the past few months, he says. Police are investigating the cause of the fires.

Bishop Riscylla Shaw, the area bishop of Trent-Durham, plans to visit the church this afternoon. She says the fire was a tragedy. “We lift up Bryce and the congregation in prayer and I will be offering my support and encouragement that we will find a way forward together as we come into Easter,” she says.

She adds: “They have a spirit of the Body of Christ in Roseneath that they’ve represented to the community and they will continue to do that no matter where they end up worshipping. We’ll work together to find a place to worship for Palm Sunday, for Easter and we’ll find a way ahead together.”

Bishop Andrew Asbil, the diocesan bishop, says he was “shocked and devastated” by the news and encourages parishes to help out. “It’s important for us as a diocese to reach out to the community and to support them with encouragement, prayer and tangible support.”

He adds, “I want to encourage the congregation to remember that it is by faith that we walk, by trust and hope, and that out of the ashes new life comes. We as a diocese support you and our prayers are with you.”