Several months after an engineering firm was contacted to expand Saint Anthony's Church on the Banning Street location, a fire partly damages the Church.

Within several days, the remaining building is demolished under the pretence that the Church will be rebuilt on the property in a different location. The Church had sustained major damage to its roof. The basement was totally intact and the outside walls were still standing.

After several months of waiting, Bishop O'Mara decides to rebuild the Church on another location a location that years prior had been chosen to have been Saint Francis Church. Bishop O'Mara is removed from office when it is found out that he owns a luxury cottage on Loon Lake.

Former parishioners meet with Father Kennedy to have a lot set aside to build a memorial to the former parishioners. Instead the property is sold off to Habitat for Humanity by Bishop Henry, who decide to build 9 units on the property.

The parishioners of the area, mostly Italian in ethnic origin feel "robbed." Millions of dollars in Insurance funds go to build a church that had been planned years prior, and a two foot tall cement block is all that is left in memory of the Saint Anthony's Church.

What caused the fire ?

Follow the details of Saint Anthony's Fire, and the protests of a group of parishioners out to win the respect of the Church.

Caesar Joseph Benvenuto Squitti

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