The historic Catholic Church of Saint-Simon, in the province of New Brunswick, Canada, has been completely destroyed by a fire that authorities determined was intentionally set. Gilles Mallet, a 68-year-old resident of the town, has been formally charged with arson and remains in custody awaiting his appearance this Friday, August 28, before the Provincial Court of Bathurst for a bail hearing.
The fire began in the early hours of Monday, August 24, in Saint-Simon, a community on the Acadian Peninsula within the municipality of Caraquet. The church was empty and no injuries were reported, but the wooden building, with more than a century of history, was completely destroyed.
The investigation determined that the fire was intentional
Emergency services responded to the church around four in the morning. Firefighters from Saint-Simon and nearby towns worked to contain a fire that ultimately consumed the structure.
The Chief of the Caraquet Fire Department, Luc Dugas, told Radio-Canada that a motion detector had registered activity inside the church around 3:20 a.m., shortly before emergency services received the alert.
The investigation by the New Brunswick Office of the Fire Marshal later concluded that the fire had been intentionally set. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) reported that they identified a person of interest during the early stages of the investigation and arrested Mallet, a resident of Saint-Simon, the same day.
The accused appeared before the Provincial Court of Bathurst and was charged with arson. Since then, he has remained in custody and is scheduled for a bail hearing this Friday.
The investigation remains open. The police have not released any possible motive for the fire, so there is no official information to attribute it to religious, ideological, or other reasons.
The Bishop of Bathurst: “An immeasurable loss”
The Bishop of Bathurst, Msgr. Michel Proulx, expressed his sorrow after learning of the destruction of the church and conveyed his closeness to the priest, the faithful, and the residents of Saint-Simon.
“This event has plunged us into deep sadness,” the prelate stated, describing the destruction of the church as an “immeasurable loss.”
Proulx especially recalled the religious history tied to the building: “Many memories are linked to this beautiful wooden church: baptisms, weddings, funerals, and so many other significant events.”
“Several generations of Christians celebrated their faith there, and it was the precious legacy of our ancestors,” he added.
The municipality of Caraquet also lamented the loss and described the church as “a true emblem of our heritage.” The mayor, Bernard Thériault, went so far as to call its destruction the worst disaster in the history of the small community.
More than a century of history
The Catholic community of Saint-Simon dates back to the early 20th century. The directory of the Diocese of Bathurst places the establishment of the mission in 1910, while information about the destroyed building dates its construction to around 1918.
The church was a large wooden structure and was considered, according to local reports, the largest wooden church still standing in New Brunswick.
In addition to liturgical celebrations, it had hosted meetings and events for the Francophone community of Saint-Simon for generations. After the fire, only a few remnants of the structure remained standing.
The RCMP continues its investigation and has requested the cooperation of anyone who was in the area during the early hours of August 24 or has information that could help clarify what happened.