Church heavily damaged by fire in Mercier, southwest of Montreal

A historic church in Mercier, southwest of Montreal, was heavily damaged in a fire early Thursday. According to the local fire department,police are investigating it as a possible arson.

"It is sad for the community, becauseeffectively, it is the centre of our village,"Lise Michaud, the mayor of the suburban town,told CBCNews after surveying the extent of the damage to theSainte-Philomnechurch.

"It's our history. It's ourheritage."

Mercier, like many Quebec communities, was built around the church, making it a central building in the community of about 13,500. The parish was founded in 1840.

Construction of the original building began in 1844 and was completed in 1848. It is located on St-Jean-Baptiste Boulevard, also known as Route 138.

A police officer first spotted the fire ataround 6:10 a.m. Thursday and notified the firedepartment, a spokesperson for Mercier said.

Flames overtooka portion of the building, causing the roof to collapse.

Fire departments from seven neighbouring municipalities rushed to assist Mercier firefighters after the local department put out a call for help.

This is the third time a fire has broken out at the building. In 1955, it was damaged by fire, though the roof and walls stayed intact. It also went up in flames in 1975.

That time, it was left with only the walls standing.

ric Steingue, Mercier director of fire safety, said the fire originated in the sacristy, a room where priests prepare for service. The entire sacristy andaltar were destroyed, he said.