Steeple collapses after fire rips through historic Catholic church

A large fire destroyed a historic church that was beloved by the community.

>>PHOTOS: Smoke, flames pour from large fire at local Catholic church

Crews were called to the fire at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Maria Stein around 2:30 p.m., according to Joe Hartings, Chickasaw Volunteer Fire Department fire chief.

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Workers on the roof were placing shingles when they saw smoke and called 911, Hartings said.

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Around 7 p.m., the steeple of the church collapsed.

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A man who lives a walking distance from the church was sad to see the site of so many family memories be destroyed.

“It’s definitely hard to stand and watch even though there’s not much else you can do. You feel a little bit helpless knowing this is the church I got married in and this was where two of my kids were baptized,” Brad Spettel said.

The church dates back to the 1890s.

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati released a statement stating they were “deeply saddened” by the destruction the fire caused.

We are working to learn how much damage the fire caused and the impact it had on the community.

We will continue to follow this story.

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