The community of Gravelbourg just south west of Moose Jaw is trying to come to grips with tragedy after their Lutheran Church suffered extensive damage after a fire Wednesday morning.

Church Council President Rita Csada tells us that she was called by a neighbour just before the noon hour and told that smoke was coming out of the windows, flames soon after.  The entire community could hear the fire trucks speed down the streets but no one was sure where they were going. Soon, everyone knew.

Csada says she was supposed to be at the church at the time of the fire but was at home working on a church bulletin instead. When she got there, flames were doing their damage on the building that was moved to Gravelbourg in 1962 from Mazenod where it was built in 1925.

Some of the church artifacts and religious pieces might be able to be saved but with the investigation underway, Csada says they are most concerned with finding a place to hold worship.

No one was injured in the fire.