A suspected arson fire at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church on 15th Street early on Good Friday morning has left the side of the building charred, and pushed its community — church and shelter attendees alike — out into the morning’s cold rain.
The church’s surveillance cameras show a woman lighting a fire in the Caledonia Street alleyway behind the church with pieces of cardboard around midnight. At one point, a man briefly joins and appears to attempt to put the fire out. After some time stoking the fire, cameras show the woman entering the church gates and spreading the fire to the building around 2:30 a.m.
The gate was accidentally left unlocked last night, said Rev. Kevin Deal.
“They said it could’ve been a barn burning, because these old buildings don’t have firestops. And it’s a wood church,” said Deal. But, he said, firefighters showed up quickly, and the rain stopped the flames from spreading too far.
Fire department spokesperson Justin Schorr said the first 911 call came in at 2:50 a.m., and that firefighters arrived within five minutes to extinguish the blaze.
In the courtyard on Friday morning, some 20 people huddled under a pop-up tent or sat in the rain to eat a snack and drink some coffee. During the day, the church serves as a safe sleeping site for the homeless — the only one in the city, said Lydia Bransten, who leads the Gubbio Project and its services.
“We don’t have access to the sanctuary until Tuesday. And unfortunately it’s raining,” Bransten said. “This really speaks to the vulnerability of community services … while we are small, we serve a lot of people.”
The 30 to 50 people who sleep inside the church each day, Bransten said, would have to find another place to rest. Bransten said she recognized the woman in the video, but said she was not one of the 150 people who come to the church for services on a given day.
“I think it’s incredibly sad and scary,” Bransten said. “Our community of unhoused folks who come in to sleep in the church are also feeling some fear and some anxiety, and they’ve been displaced.”
Vaenisha Rodgers, a regular at the shelter, said her family has roots dating back to her great-grandmother at Valencia Gardens, the affordable housing complex across the street. Rodgers said she was shocked and hurt, and she could tell the church was hurt, too.
“I can’t even talk, I’m stuttering,” Rodgers said as she gazed up at the blackened church exterior. “This is our safe haven, we all come here, we’re safe here.”
The church, founded in 1857, has long been a point of connection between the streets and city services like healthcare or housing support. It also has long maintained a social justice focus. Mission Graduates, which helps guide low-income students to college, was founded at the church in 1972. The church hosts refugees from Central America, and supported the LGBTQ community during the AIDS crisis; dozens of AIDS victims are interred in its garden.
“This is not just a church, it’s a monument, for being a force for good in the community,” Bransten said.
Rodgers said the church has helped her through difficult times, including near-death experiences.
When she had pneumonia in December, she explained, she was “right here next to the lord’s house.” Though will have to find another place to sleep for a few days, Rodgers, pouring sugars in her coffee, said she’ll still be coming around. “I’m going to bring my positive energy. My love.”
Deal said he had to meet with his colleagues to decide how to proceed on the church’s most holy and busiest week of the year. This wasn’t the church’s first fire: In 1970, Deal said, an arsonist burned down the parish hall and parsonage, where the garden is today.
But despite the circumstances, both Deal and Bransten — and those sipping coffee in the courtyard — maintained a positive attitude. Standing in the windchill and rain, people greeted each other good morning and made jokes.
“It feels kind of appropriate that it happened during Holy Week,” Deal said. “Today’s Good Friday, it’s when Jesus was crucified, and it could be a deeper invitation into the story of suffering in pursuit of a cause.”
Not the first time I’ve seen and witnessed a deranged homeless meth head lighting things on fire. RIP Taqueria Coyote on 16th between Mission & Valencia
They dont sleep there at night only during the day. Which attracts encampments, crime and open drug use. Another article about caring more about the drug tourists/criminal/mentally ill more than the kids and families who live on Julian Ave.
Have some decency.
Pretty sure it’s an article about a church that was a victim of arson. But good job identifying the real victims.
Where on 15th Street, what’s a cross street? I always need to go Google locations when I read articles here.
Julian, between Mission and Valencia. It’s terrible news; St John’s does great work in the neighborhood.
Yes, many feel entitled to things, resources.
And honestly, after seeing an incident where the guy didn’t get the plate of dinner he wanted, he threw his tray at the server, who is trying to just get everybody a plate first and hand out seconds after.
Prayers for the displaced churchgoers on their Easter weekend. Christ is risen!
Nicely done. A good article and more reasons to support real journalism. It takes time and effort to gather, edit and present these details. Sad about the church and, “it only takes one” has always been true.
Venom on this level is so pathetic and harmful. That’s true of all venom; and including the fact that it denotes the vileness of the character causing it, the nastiness is incredibly pervasive. Are donations being accepted? Is there insurance?