‘I am shocked’: Regina church target of arson attack

A historic Regina church was the target of an arson attack early Friday morning, as someone attempted to light the building on fire.

James Hentges, a priest at Regina’s Blessed Sacrament Parish, said he got an alert around 3:30 a.m., saying there was a critical situation at the church. When he checked the camera, he saw smoke and the fire department quickly arrived.

“I am very frightened by it,” Hentges said Monday.

In a video Hentges captured outside the door, a masked person can be seen pouring fuel out of a jerrycan near the office entrance of the church.

He then lights the fluid, and flames quickly ensue.

“I am shocked,” Hentges said. “We’ve had other acts like graffiti on the church or our dumpster being lit on fire. But those are not quite as shocking as this.”

The video ends as the suspect runs away from the fire and flees the scene on foot.

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Hentges said the fire is just one of a number of graffiti acts he has seen in the community.

“Not just our church, but other churches and other businesses. They are all struggling with this type of vandalism,” he said. “It seems like this was such a deliberate act, so I worry about it.”

Hentges said the church itself appears to be OK, with all the damage being contained to the front office.

Regina police said firefighters were called to Blessed Sacrament Parish around 3:40 a.m. on Feb. 9. for a reported fire.

When crews arrived, they found the back door of the parish was burning and were able to quickly extinguish the flames.

Fire investigators were called in and determined the blaze was the result of arson and contacted police.

Regina police are asking the public for any information they may have that could assist in this investigation.