Stained glass, pipe organ removed after fire at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Salem

It is not clear when St. Joseph Catholic Church will reopen, nearly four months after fire raced up the brick walls and onto the ceiling, causing significant damage.

For now, services for the second-oldest Catholic parish in Salem are being held in St. Joseph School gymnasium, where new padded chairs have replaced the old, uncomfortable ones that we falling apart, said Fr. Jeff Meeuwsen.

Man charged with intentionally setting fire behind St. Joseph in Salem

Salem Fire Department received multiple 911 calls on Aug. 31 and was dispatched at 2:31 a.m.

Police arrested Billy James Sweeten Jr., 48, and he was indicted on first-degree arson charges of starting a fire in a recycling bin behind the church. Court records show Sweeten Jr. has had 138 previous arrests and more than 40 convictions. On the morning of the fire, there was a warrant out for his arrest after he failed to appear in court for unrelated charges.

"He really needs help," Meeuwsen said about Sweeten Jr.

"We're very grateful no one was hurt and I would hope Mr. Sweeney would be in a place where he cannot hurt himself, others or destroy property in the future," Meeuwsen said during Sweeten's September arraignment. "We're praying for him."

Stained glass, pipe organ removed to preserve, repair what they can

SERVPRO, a cleanup and restoration company, worked on the property from the day of the fire until around October, Meeuwsen said. Since the focus has shifted to construction, the church has been working with FXG Construction.

Frank Graney, general contractor and president of FXG Construction, said progress includes the removal of all the stained glass, which has been shipped off for assessment and repair or replacement.

New glass will ensure the stained glass windows are visible from the street. Film covered the ones that were removed, Graney said. There also will be lights installed to make the stained glass stand out.

The pipe organ also was removed and sent for assessment and repair.

The fresco, which was dedicated in 2017, will have to be removed and replaced, Graney said. "The new one will be even more spectacular," he said.

Many of the changes follow a similar pattern: keeping a traditional look with modern technology, Meeuwsen said. The construction also offers an opportunity to make the confession rooms less stuffy, he joked.

Graney said his team has also been learning about the origins of the material from the church, including a stack of oak slats that made up the roof in the center of the church that they are preserving.

On Thursday, Graney was measuring the crucifix, which survived the fire, to move it to the gymnasium for Christmas mass.

Meeuwsen also noted the removal of the altar, which they had to deconsecrate.

"The cleaning crew and the construction crew have all been very respectful of that," Meeuwsen said. "They've been very respectful of our faith's traditions."

All the small pieces are coming together, he said.

St. Joseph School gymnasium temporary home for services

The Salem Building & Safety Division in October gave the church permission to occupy the school gymnasium. About 300 people can be inside.

The adoration chapel reopened on Dec. 3, offering a space for people to pray 24 hours a day, seven times a week.

Meeuwsen said Thursday he was hopeful construction would be complete in the parish center in time for it to serve as overflow for Christmas services. The old concessions stand in the school gymnasium now serves as the sacristy.

The community, including neighboring businesses, are supporting St. Joseph during construction. And nearby churches have welcomed some St. Joseph parishioners during construction.

"We hope they come back someday," Meeuwsen said. "But if not, we know they've found a home."

With school on winter break, the church doesn't have to juggle the school and church schedules or worry about removing the chairs between services.

On Christmas Eve the church will host an English Christmas vigil at 5:30 p.m., a Spanish Vigil at 8 p.m. and a midnight mass.

On Christmas Day, there will be a 7:30 a.m. Latin service, 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. English masses, 1:30 p.m. Spanish mass and a 3:45 p.m. Vietnamese Christmas Mass.

Dianne Lugo covers the Oregon Legislature and equity issues. Reach her atdlugo@statesmanjournal.com or on Twitter @DianneLugo.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem's St. Joseph Catholic Church begins remodel after fire