A fire broke out inside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Memphis, Tennessee, on May 31, damaging the sanctuary, according to the Catholic Diocese of Memphis.
The diocese said the fire occurred in the early morning hours and was contained behind the main altar inside the cathedral’s sanctuary. No one was inside or near the cathedral at the time of the fire.
"The damage from the small fire was confined to the Sanctuary area and the amount of fire and smoke damage is being evaluated," the diocese said in a statement issued June 1. “No one was in or around The Cathedral at the time of the fire and, most importantly, no one was injured from the fire."
The diocese added that the cause of the fire remains under investigation and thanked local firefighters and emergency responders for their quick response in extinguishing the blaze.
The cathedral was closed May 31 for safety reasons, and parishioners attended Mass at other Catholic churches in the area. Beginning June 1, daily Masses are being moved to the Cathedral Center Conference Room.
However, the diocese said the June 6 priestly ordination of diocesan deacons remains scheduled to proceed as planned unless church officials announce otherwise later this week.
The fire left many parishioners stunned.
"Shock, just total shock," parishioner Sheila Dietz, who said she has belonged to the parish for 50 years, told WREG-TV. "We had just attended Mass the night before, and then we get up this morning and we've got a notice that all the Masses are cancelled because of the fire at the church."
Another parishioner, Thomas Fagan, said he was relieved the fire appeared to be contained quickly and had not caused the level of devastation seen in last year’s Clayborn Temple fire, a devastating arson fire that largely destroyed the historic Memphis church.
"At least it wasn't like Clayborn Temple or anything like that," Fagan told the station. "It seems to be pretty well contained, and things will be cleaned up pretty fast, I think."
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was built in 1938 and serves as the seat of the Diocese of Memphis.