Federal agents are helping investigate a fire that severely damaged a Catholic church in the Diocese of Tucson last week.

St. Anthony of Padua Church in Casa Grande, Arizona, reported on Facebook Friday that a fire early in the morning of Oct. 18 damaged the church building.

No injuries were reported and firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, the Facebook post said. The church will use its community center for services following the fire.

Casa Grande Fire Marshal Frank Ricci told KVOA, a local NBC affiliate, that the fire likely started in a shed on the property. Ricci told the station that the majority of the building was severely damaged by the fire.

“Based on the damage that occurred inside the structure, I say it’s probably a 65 to 70 percent loss of the structure,” Ricci said.

A spokesperson for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) told CNA Tuesday that the agency is investigating the matter. “We are assisting the Casa Grande Fire Department with their investigation,” the spokesperson said.

When asked if officials were investigating the fire as a possible incidence of arson, the ATF directed CNA to the Casa Grande Fire Department. Fire officials did not immediately respond to a question Tuesday about the investigation.

The New Outlook, the news site for the Diocese of Tucson, reported Tuesday that Casa Grande Fire Chief Dave Kean said officials had “no reason to believe foul play was involved.” , although federal agents provided assistance “due to the high loss of money and the fact” that it is a place of worship.

In a statement posted on Facebook Sunday, Tucson Bishop Edward Weisenburger said he was “deeply saddened by the damage and destruction” caused to the parish.

“A true characteristic of Catholicism is that our places of worship are not simply places where we pray,” the bishop said. “Rather, they are imbued with holiness by the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, the waters of baptism, the vessels consecrated to worship and the grace that flows from the celebration of the sacraments. »

The prelate urged parishioners to “allow the grace of God to heal us, make us strong and unite us in carrying out his will,” noting that the parish “was not built on foundations of concrete, steel and bricks”, but rather a question of “faith, hope and love”.

Several other parishes in the United States and elsewhere have caught fire in recent weeks. A Florida Catholic church has suffered multiple fires in just 16 months, with authorities confirming last week that the most recent fire is currently being investigated as arson.

Meanwhile, a widespread wildfire in September destroyed the Holy Spirit Catholic Mission in Washoe Valley, Nevada, which held the only Latin Mass in northern Nevada.

Meanwhile, in Arizona, Father Ariel Lustan told the Tucson newspaper that Masses will continue at Casa Grande Parish as it seeks to rebuild after the fire.

“It’s a brick structure with a steel frame,” the priest explained. “Someone told me if they could rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral, we could rebuild this church and I think that’s a noble goal.”