Police Looking for Suspect After Calgary Church Set on Fire

Photos of an arson suspect outside St. Mary's Cathedral in Calgary on May 19, 2023. (Calgary Police Service handout)

The Calgary Police Service is asking the public to help identify a suspect alleged to have started a fire and assaulted two staff members at a Catholic church last Friday.

On May 19 at around 2:30 a.m., police were called about a “deliberately set fire” at the St. Mary’s Cathedral located at 219 17 Avenue S.W., a May 25 news release said.

According to the release, two church staff members heard a commotion outside the church, and when they opened the back door to investigate, a man “aggressively charged at them.”

“The two men were able to close the door and get to safety while the man continued to attempt to gain entry into the church,” the police said.

“The men called 9-1-1 and the fire was extinguished upon the Calgary Fire Department’s arrival.”

The suspect is described as approximately 35 to 45 years old, with a bald or shaved head, and approximately 6 feet tall and 180 pounds.

Police added that they are investigating whether the incident was hate-motivated.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Calgary Police Service at 403-266-1234 or submit tips to Crime Stoppers to stay anonymous.

Church Burnings

The latest incident follows a series of church burnings in the last two years in Canada.

On May 22, a similar incident occurred when the RCMP was called to help with a fire in St. Bernard Catholic Church in Grouard, about 360 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.

Two men were charged with arson after the 121-year-old church was burnt down. They were also charged with break and enter to commit theft following their arrest on May 23.

The Mounties said no one was hurt in the fire, though the church, a provincial historic site, was damaged beyond repair. Both men were placed in custody and are due in court on May 29 in High Prairie.

A police spokesperson told The Epoch Times at the time they could only speak to facts at that point, and not motivation.

The two incidents occurred as this month marks the two-year anniversary of Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nations saying ground-penetrating radar had found burial sites of 215 children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. So far, none of the locations said to be unmarked grave sites have been excavated to look for remains.

Shortly after the announcement on May 27, 2021, a series of churches were damaged or destroyed by arson across Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan, and Ontario.

Earlier this year, The Epoch Times contacted police forces across the country to learn the status of the investigations into church burnings. Most have not resulted in charges or convictions, although in a few cases people have been charged, with at least one conviction.

The Epoch Times found some cases remain officially open, while others have closed but could reopen if new evidence comes to light.

Doug Lett and Lee Harding contributed to this report.