A fire damaged a niche next to an altar inside of Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Fairfield and destroyed a statue of the Virgin Mary, officials say.
Father Peter Cipriani says he was out of town when he got the call from Father Mike Flynn that the church had caught fire.
Cipriani says a niche next to the altar caught fire but was put out by firefighters before spreading.
Firefighters say they used thermal sensing imagery to see where the fire was inside of the church.
Church officials say it will be a long few weeks while repairs are made, and that Mass will take place inside the parish hall for now.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.