On Oct. 21, a seventh church in St. Louis was the latest in a rash of arson fires that had been directed predominantly at African-American congregations. But the Shrine of St. Joseph on the outskirts of downtown, in what’s known as Columbus Square, is predominantly white and Roman Catholic, dating back to 1843. Damage at the churches ranged from zero to nearly destroyed. One was Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. Rewards totaling $9,000 are being offered for information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for the string of church fires in a two-week span beginning Oct. 8. “This isn’t a north city problem, it’s not a North County problem,” said Capt. Garon Mosby of the St. Louis Fire Department. “It’s a St. Louis problem.”
7th church fire in Mo.
November 23, 2015
