Gaudi's Sagrada Familia Damaged by Arsonist

One of my favorite churches, the newly consecrated Basilica of Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) in Barcelona, was damaged on April 19 when an apparent lone arsonist started a fire in the basilica's sacristy. The sacristy suffered considerable damage but the fie was otherwise contained. Visiting tourists saw the smoke rising from the crypt level where the sacristy is located and alerted the authorities who immediately evacuated the building of 1,700 visitors. A number of people had to be treated for smoke inhalation. A group of tourists restrained the suspected arsonist until he could be turned over to the police. The suspect, a 65-year-old Barcelona man, still held a lighter in his hand which it seems he used to set fire to vestments stored in the sacristy. Despite the damage, the basilica was reopened to the public that same afternoon.

Diane and I visited Barcelona just a few months ago, and the afternoon we spent at Sagrada Familia was the highlight of our six days in the city. It is a remarkable church, begun by the equally remarkable architect, Antoni Gaudi, in 1882. Still under construction, the basilica was consecrated by Pope Benedict XVI while we were in Barcelona. I have included below a few of the many photographs I took during our visit. You can also view a slide-show of some of my Sagrada Familia photos here.

What can motivate someone to inflict such damage on a church? But then what motivates anyone to choose evil over good? There is certainly a lot of that going around these days. Pray for the arsonist, and thank God that the damage was much less than it might have been.