History » 1969 - 2002 » 1974 Fire Damage
Fire Damage in the Original Shrine 1974
KN Nr. IX/21, 20.9.1974, p. 297 f.:
Early in the morning of 29.8.1974 fire damage was discovered in the original shrine. Above the candle stand behind the right hand window the outer wall was smoke blackened right up to the roof beams. The lead glazing of the window was partly melted, the glass had burst, and there was a horrible smell of smoke inside the shrine. Despite the investigations of the police it is not known how the fire was started. Arson has not been excluded, especially as witnesses confirm that no candles were still burning in the candle stand at midnight. Now the damaged window has been repaired with a simple piece of glass. You can still see that the Pallottine coat of arms (a purple cross and golden star in a triangle) has remained undamaged.
KN Nr. IX/25, 25.10.1974, p. 423:
A new candle box has been fixed to the outer wall of the original shrine – or whatever you call the tin container where the little red votive lights are burning. This rather unlovely contraption has been placed in the recess in front of the sanctuary window. It has been constructed in such a way that the heat from the burning candles is directed away from the shrine. In this way further fire damage should as far as possible be prevented. The old place of the candle stand, where the fire started recently, remains unused. The damaged window has been repaced with a temporary pane and is being repaired.
