Around midnight on May 1, 2019 a massive fire erupted inside of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Phoenix. Aided by spotlights from a chopper overhead, about 60 fire fighters battled the blaze for several hours before getting it under control.
Everything was destroyed – except for the cross.
It wasn’t until daybreak that an assessment of the damage could be made. A total loss. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
I took the pic above from the adjacent street less than 12 hours after the fire was extinguished. Upon close personal inspection, the cross appears to be made of wood. And from the angle I took the pic, it appears the roof line would have been less than ten feet from the cross. Yet there is no sign of charring or other damage.
Two more interesting points worth noting:
- Catholics recognize May 1 as a “Feast Day of St. Joseph the Worker”. Joseph was the foster father of Jesus and has earned Saint status in the Catholic faith.
- A priest from the Diocese of Phoenix reported that the monstrance from the adoration room was found to be in great shape with the host inside it. Everything else in the room was burned.
Similar mystery at Notre Dame Cathedral
Just a few weeks earlier on the other side of the world, a similar phenomenon took place when the massive April 15 fire destroyed the fabled Notre Dame Cathedral in France. Photos taken after the fire was put out show a cross at the alter standing as if nothing had happened.
Are these signs from the heavens? Even miracles perhaps? What are your thoughts?
