SAN JOSE -- Holy Cross Catholic Church, a century-old center of a beloved parish, where Mass was still recited in Italian, burned down Sunday afternoon in a four-alarm fire.

"This was home, and now it's gone," said Catherine Ventimiglia, who attended the Italian Mass that ended minutes before the fire broke out around 2 p.m. "We are stunned. My legs are numb from this."

San Jose Fire Department Capt. Mike Van Elgort said the cause of the fire was not known, but the blaze did spread rapidly through the second floor and then to the roof. More than 100 firefighting personnel were still struggling to control the blaze in the late afternoon. By then, the roof had collapsed and two minarets had tumbled.

"It's made of heavy timber, old construction methods and old dry wood," Van Elgort said. "It's a beautiful building. It's a tragedy to see it demolished."

However, the fire had spared the rectory and a meeting hall.

Hundreds of local residents and parishioners -- speaking in Italian, English or Spanish -- stood at the corner of Jackson and North 13th streets and watched their neighborhood and spiritual institution crumble before their eyes.

"I can't believe I'm not going to see my church again," said Debra Cancilla, who was baptized there in the 1950s. "You get to know people and where they sit every Sunday, for years and years. That's not going to happen anymore."

Special crucifix

Holy Cross was founded in 1906 to serve working-class Italian immigrants settling in the Northside, one of San Jose's oldest neighborhoods. The church gained special recognition five years later as an Italian National Parish.

The newcomers that followed the Italians over the decades remained largely Catholic and working class, but they came from Portugal, Texas, the Philippines and Mexico. The waves of newcomers helped the church remain a Northside anchor.

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Big blaze at Holy Cross Church destroys a beloved structure in San Jose

THE CENTURIES-OLD Taal Basilica in Taal, Batangas, stands tall amid a feud over expansion plans by the priest in charge of the church. MARICAR CINCO/INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON

TAAL, BatangasA centuries-old Catholic church here, famous for its Baroque architecture and trompe loeil (deceives the eye) painted ceilings, is at the center of a lingering battle between art and the churchs need for more room.

Renowned glass sculptor

Ramon Orlina had asked the court here to permanently stop all construction at the St. Martin de Tours Basilica, popularly known as the Taal Basilica, spearheaded by the parish priest, Msgr. Alfredo Madlangbayan.

Both parties, accompanied by their legal counsels, had presented evidence in a pretrial hearing at the Taal Regional Trial Court (RTC). Judge Juanita Areta, of Branch 86, set the start of the hearing in February next year.

We will fight them. I will not take it sitting down, Madlangbayan told the Inquirer in an interview.

The structure being questioned in the case is a one-story events venue outside the basilica. The construction of a 280-square meter events hall started last year but it was ordered stopped by the Taal RTC in November 2013. A temporary restraining order was issued based on the petition of Orlina.

Its been a year already. We dont have a place where meetings could be held. Just imagine a church without a hall for meetings and seminars, Madlangbayan said.

It was Orlina who called the attention of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) in October 2013 to the changes made at the basilica since Madlangbayan was installed in 2010.

Among these are the re-painting of the altar in shades of gold and the construction of an arcade, eight vendors stalls, a small ossuary, bird coops and a small fountain around the church yard.

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Taal church at center of war between art, expansion

Some homeowners living near Maranatha Adventist Fellowship church off MD 564 in Bowie are concerned that a new church renovation project will clog roadways, endanger pedestrians and harm the local ecosystem.

While the Prince Georges County planning board unanimously approved the churchs new 29,000 square foot building Nov. 6, many neighbors are still uneasy about the sudden growth and what they call a lack of transparency. The new building will be nearly six times the churchs current structure, according to Maranatha pastor Uzooma Erondu.

The Bowie City Council heard community concerns about the church expansion on Oct. 20 and recommended several conditions to the planning board, including the request of a public construction design plan. While planning board members attached several conditions to their decision including the addition of a sidewalk and path alongside the property the public site plan was not approved.

Robert Koelsch of Bowie, who lives in a neighborhood adjacent to the church, said a site plan would have enhanced communication between the church and its neighbors by fully informing residents of the churchs plans.

I would like to see more of the details, he said. They keep saying the [plans] are all preliminary, but my concern is once its all approved, details may not matter too much.

Rebecca Sunday of Bowie testified at the planning board meeting on Nov. 6 and said that, without a site plan, it would be difficult to tell how the church expansion would affect her property.

We are very concerned about the size of the church in its proposed location as well as many aspects of the proposed design, she said. Weve invested a lot of money in our property, basically renovating the entire house and the yard. The placement of the church so close to our property line looming over us just doesnt seem like the best design.

William Mayah, a county planner, said that planning board staff did not deem it necessary for the church to present a public detailed site plan, but that the church could produce such a plan on its own.

Kenneth Burruss, project manager for the church expansion, said the church is unlikely to do so.

It would not be cost effective to the client to do all these things, he said. Its not an issue of trying to satisfy the whims of everybody because thats unreasonable.

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Bowie church, community still at odds over new building -- Gazette.Net

Some homeowners living near Maranatha Adventist Fellowship church off MD 564 in Bowie are concerned that a new church renovation project will clog roadways, endanger pedestrians and harm the local ecosystem.

While the Prince Georges County planning board unanimously approved the churchs new 29,000 square foot building Nov. 6, many neighbors are still uneasy about the sudden growth and what they call a lack of transparency. The new building will be nearly six times the churchs current structure, according to Maranatha pastor Uzooma Erondu.

The Bowie City Council heard community concerns about the church expansion on Oct. 20 and recommended several conditions to the planning board, including the request of a public construction design plan. While planning board members attached several conditions to their decision including the addition of a sidewalk and path alongside the property the public site plan was not approved.

Robert Koelsch of Bowie, who lives in a neighborhood adjacent to the church, said a site plan would have enhanced communication between the church and its neighbors by fully informing residents of the churchs plans.

I would like to see more of the details, he said. They keep saying the [plans] are all preliminary, but my concern is once its all approved, details may not matter too much.

Rebecca Sunday of Bowie testified at the planning board meeting on Nov. 6 and said that, without a site plan, it would be difficult to tell how the church expansion would affect her property.

We are very concerned about the size of the church in its proposed location as well as many aspects of the proposed design, she said. Weve invested a lot of money in our property, basically renovating the entire house and the yard. The placement of the church so close to our property line looming over us just doesnt seem like the best design.

William Mayah, a county planner, said that planning board staff did not deem it necessary for the church to present a public detailed site plan, but that the church could produce such a plan on its own.

Kenneth Burruss, project manager for the church expansion, said the church is unlikely to do so.

It would not be cost effective to the client to do all these things, he said. Its not an issue of trying to satisfy the whims of everybody because thats unreasonable.

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Bowie church, community still at odds over new building

A new $4 million addition to Legacy Heights and Memory Lane in Van Buren meant specifically for the care of residents suffering from Alzheimers was dedicated Thursday at the First Assembly of God Church.

About 300 attended the dedication of the new Alzheimers special care unit, during which city and church officials spoke on the quality of the facility and thanked those who helped bring it about.

Rev. Bobby Johnson, senior pastor with the church, presided over the dedication.

The people who are going to reside in this facility will not realize how beautiful it is, but their families will. It will be a great comfort to them, Johnson said during the ceremony.

Able to house 40 Alzheimers and dementia patients, the unit has two separate pods each with 20 private rooms, a courtyard and walking trail, nursing quarters, salons and spas, separate dining rooms, a movie room, activities room, and saferoom. The unit will be staffed with about 25 nurses and assistants.

Van Buren Mayor Bob Freeman said the facility will help fill the growing need in the community for Alzheimers patient care.

This is a contribution, not just for this church, but for our community and the entire region, Freeman said. We know weve got an aging population and with that comes particular challenges. This facility and this church have reached out to meet those challenges.

Doug Clay, general treasurer for the General Council of the Assemblies of God, said during the dedication that 1 in 8 people 65 or older are expected to be diagnosed with Alzheimers and more than 5,500 Americans become 65 each day.

An anonymous donor granted the church $5 million to build the 34,000-square-foot Alzheimers unit. About $4 million went into construction of the new addition, with the other million going for operation costs, equipment and decorations, said Darron Ming, executive director of Legacy Heights and Memory Lane and director of mens ministry with the church.

Living areas have been decorated with leather rockers and sofas and Norman Rockwell paintings, while display cases around the courtyards hold memorabilia from the first half of the 20th century.

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Memory Lane addition dedicated

They didnt feed 5,000 people, but members of the Fremont Church of the Nazarene saw a miracle nonetheless.

It happened on a mission trip in Ecuador. The Rev. Tom Shaw, his wife, Becky, and 10 parishioners had gone to the South American country to show the film The Story of Jesus for Children in Spanish.

During the trip, group members were asked to erect a pre-fab church building on a portion of a cleared-out jungle area. Mission team members had brought enough food for about 15 people.

But then there was about 30 or 40 Ecuadorians around and we thought, We cant eat in front of them, so we shared and there was enough and with leftovers just like the miracle, said team member Patty Smith, referring to the Bible story of Jesus feeding 5,000 people.

It was just one of the miracles that team members said they witnessed during a memory-making fall trip.

One of the first miracles occurred in a South American airport. Team members were concerned about questions they might get in the foreign airport or that some of the new equipment such as a projector, sound system, screen and portable generators might be confiscated, thus thwarting their plans to show the 60-minute Gospel film.

That didnt happen.

We were getting ready to go through customs and the man flagged us through without checking any bags. We walked through without being processed basically, said team member Kathy Johnson, noting that doesnt often occur.

Team members later were taken to a Work and Witness site where they stayed.

The next morning they worshiped in Spanish with their Ecuadorian brothers and sisters in Christ.

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Church members see miracles on mission trip

Pastor Tom MacLeod of the newly formed North Fork United Methodist Church previously served as pastor at Sag Harbor United Methodist Church, where he also led efforts to sell the congregations old building to construct a new church. (Credit: Cyndi Murray)

The Cutchogue United Methodist Church building is for sale.

The historic Main Road structure, built in 1927, went on the market last week as part of an ongoing plan to consolidate Methodist congregations in Southold and Cutchogue and construct a new church elsewhere in Southold Town, Pastor Tom MacLeod said.

Related: Sacred spaces headed to market

In June, church officials closed Southold United Methodist Church and put it up for sale, citing declining membership and ever-increasing maintenance costs. In the months since, the Southold and Cutchogue congregations have been worshiping together in Cutchogue under the name North Fork United Methodist Church.

The Cutchogue church will remain open until a buyer is found.

There has been a grief issue, the Rev. MacLeod said. These buildings mean a lot to many people and they have served the community for years. But more than that, there is a renewed sense of excitement. We are a bigger church now than we were before the merger. A lot of the older members want to move into a new building. They see the vision and are looking forward to moving toward it.

Since the two Methodist congregations got together, there has been a steady uptick in membership and a renewed sense of commitment to the church among parishioners, the Rev. MacLeod said, pointing to a recent church dinner that raised more than $6,000 for local families in need.

Moreover, it was an easy event, he said, thanks to the helping hands of the congregations 60 regular members.

We are stronger with more people, the Rev. MacLeod said. Almost everyone from Southold came to Cutchogue. With this bigger congregation, there is a great sense of community. That allows us to do more.

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Cutchogue United Methodist Churchs building up for sale

Two statues with symbolic importance for St. Anthonys Catholic Church were blessed recently and now stand as welcoming presences near the front doors of the church on Frankwood Avenue.

One statue depicts St. Anthony of Padua, patron saint of the Reedley church.

The other is a representation of Mary pregnant with Jesus, which is a statement about the Catholic Churchs pro-life position, said Jim McGahan, a St. Anthonys parishioner.

The statues each with a bronze coating stand just short of 7 feet tall. They are mounted on stone bases that are just over 3 feet tall.

The stands are made of rocks from Smith Mountain, which is historically significant for the parish.

In the early 1900s, 24 families went to Smith Mountain and got rocks used to build old St. Anthonys church on F Street.

This year, Matthew Reyes and fellow Boy Scouts in Troop 282 gathered rocks from Smith Mountain for the bases. Reyes role in gathering the rocks is a step toward him earning his rank as an Eagle Scout.

Monsignor John Esquivel, pastor of St. Anthonys, blessed the statues in separate ceremonies.

He pointed out that the statue of St. Anthony faces south in the direction of old St. Anthonys.

St. Anthony is basically saying, Im watching over those who attend the old church, Esquivel said.

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Statues of St. Anthony, Mary blessed at church

Reverend Stephen White in front of the stained glass windows at St Luke's on the Taieri. Photo by Linda Robertson.

A special commemoration service by Bishop of Dunedin Kelvin Wright was held on Sunday.

St Luke's vicar, the Rev Stephen White, said the church had a large presence in the community.

''The church is significant in terms of its ministry,'' he said''We have line dancing, we have counselling services ... we have a wide-ranging church community, we have people from all walks of life.''

The site of the current complex had been a place of worship for many years before its construction in 1964.

''This is the second church that has been on this site.''

Anglican worship began on the Taieri in 1878 when the Rev Stanley, of Milton, began taking regular services in Green Island and Allanton.

The first St Luke's church was a wooden construction by architects Mason and Wales built in late 1892.

''The old building was a much-beloved building. They felt it would serve them well.''

The small complex could only fit 60 people and by 1949 Mosgiel residents had had enough of not being able to squeeze in and began the New Church Building Fund.

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St Luke's marks 50 years

A historic church in Syria dedicated to the one and a half million Armenians murdered by the Turks in 1915 has reportedly been reduced to rubble by Islamists.

According to The Independent, the destruction of the Armenian church in the eastern city of Deir el-Zour appears to have been committed by Jabhat al-Nusra rebels.

Irreplaceable archives dating back to 1841 - shortly before the church's 1846 construction - and which included documents on the Armenian genocide have been reduced to ashes.

In a further act of insult, the bones of hundreds of genocide victims have reportedly been removed from the crypt and strewn on the street outside.

Overseer of the Armenian church in the Deir el-Zour district, Monsignor Antranik Ayvazian, told The Independent's Robert Fisk that the militants tried to use the church as leverage, promising not to destroy the priceless archive if he in return acknowledged them as the legislative authority in the area.

He refused and they set about destroying the church.

"I refused," he said. "And after I refused, they destroyed all our papers and endowments. The only genocide victims' bones leftwere further north in the Murgada sanctuary and I buried them before I left. They destroyed the church there, but now if I could go back, I don't even know if I could find where I put the bones."

He only found out about the church's destruction when a secret photo showing the ruined building was smuggled to him.

It is not only the fact that the bones of genocide victims were stored at the church; its place in Armenian history is poignant because the priest at the time, Father Petrus Terzibashian, was killed by Turks in front of the congregation, says Msr Ayvazian.

"Then they threw his body into the Euphrates," he said. "This time when the Islamists came, our priest there fled for his life."

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Historic Armenian church destroyed by Islamists in Syria