EVANS CITY — People surrounded St. Matthias Roman Catholic Church as it smoldered Wednesday night on Main Street.

Community members stood to pay their respects to the church that now had a large black hole in the second floor.

Daneene Wimer, a borough resident, said the favorite photograph of her daughter was one taken inside the church with its ornate stained-glass in the background.

“When I saw the smoke coming from it, I cried,” Wimer said.

As people watched, they supported the firefighters by bringing food and drinks from nearby restaurants.

“It's been a long couple days,” said Steve Bicehouse, chief of the Evans City Fire Department. “I think it's great to have the support of the community. It's great to have the support of surrounding departments.”

Bicehouse said about eight of the county's fire departments assisted.

He said the knockdown took about 45 minutes from when they received the call at 6:45 p.m.

He said most of the firefighters were tired — many were up all night responding to flooding from heavy rainfall late Tuesday — but they worked quickly and contained the fire to the second floor area near the front of the church facing the street.

“There was some extension to the roof and the bell tower. There was some damage there,” Bicehouse said.

The cause was unknown Wednesday night. A fire marshal was expected to investigate Thursday. Bicehoue said there was no suspicion of wrongdoing but an investigation is standard procedure.

“Churches get special attention,” he said.

Bicehouse said no one was in the building at the time of the fire. No firefighters were hurt working the scene.

Deacon Don Pepe was assigned to the church. He said the church was still aflame when he arrived. In the aftermath he wandered the scene with consecrated Eucharist grasped tight in his hands. He said the Eucharist was the one item he was most concerned about, and it was safe.

Pepe said he believed the church's age to be a factor in the fire.

“The church is 100 years old,” Pepe said. “It's made of wood.”

Dorothy Spithaler, a member since 1955, had served as an organist and secretary. She said she heard the call over the scanner, and a neighbor brought her to the scene to watch.

Spithaler said the church closed weekly operation in October, when the congregation merged with St. Gregory Roman Catholic Church.

Despite the merger, St. Matthias still held two Masses each year, once on the birthday of the saint the church was named after and the second on the anniversary of the church's founding.

The church was actually scheduled for a Mass celebrating the latter at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Spithaler said many who lined the sidewalks were members. Many were upset.

“I'm sure they feel bad because it's been here so long,” she said. “A lot of memories.”

Paul Foster, a member of the church for 25 years, said before the fire the church remained relatively the same for the last 50 years.

“It hasn't really changed,” he said. “It had the structural integrity of a one-room schoolhouse.”

Foster said he felt there was a divine nature to the fire.

“This is all God's decision,” he said.