A major fire broke out at a church on Thursday evening in Saint-Ours, Que., in the Montérégie region, the municipality announced in a social media post.
Firefighters from Sorel-Tracy, Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu and Saint-Roch-de-Richelieu were called to help fight the blaze that had engulfed the Église de l’Immaculée-Conception.
“It’s an extremely painful moment for our citizens,” Saint-Ours Mayor Sylvain Dupuis said in a news statement. “The church of Saint-Ours represents an important part of our history, the hallmark of our community and our collective identity.”
A powerful thunderstorm had swept through the town and surrounding areas around the time the fire broke out though the municipality did not specify the cause of the fire.
Saint-Ours was under a severe thunderstorm watch Thursday. Environment and Climate Change Canada warned of “dangerous thunderstorms capable of producing strong gusts, large hail and heavy downpour.”
The church was built between 1880 and 1882 and is listed in the Quebec Cultural Heritage Directory.
On Thursday evening, the municipality said the convent, school, and presbytery adjacent to the church were not affected by the fire.