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Fire Destroys Main Sanctuary Of St. Joseph Church In North Phoenix

A fire has destroyed the main sanctuary of a Catholic church in north Phoenix early Wednesday morning.

There is still little information about the cause of the fire at St. Joseph Church near 40th Street and Shea Boulevard.

Fire crews found the fire had spread to the attic of the church and had started to burn through the roof. Crews were able to keep the fire from spreading to nearby buildings around the church.

No one was injured and there’s no word as to the cause of the fire. In a statement, the Diocese of Phoenix said it is heartbroken for the St. Joseph Catholic community.

There are plans to tentatively celebrate Mass on church property this weekend.

KJZZ senior field correspondent Kathy Ritchie has 20 years of experience reporting and writing stories for national and local media outlets — nearly a decade of it has been spent in public media.