A devastating fire which tore through St Simon’s church is “so sad” for the Partick community, a local councillor has said.
Glasgow City Council resilience teams were on site to help people evacuated from nearby homes as a result of the blaze in the historic church on Partick Bridge Street in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
No one was injured during the incident but St Simon’s — opened in 1858 — is known as the spiritual home of the city’s Polish community as soldiers from the country, stationed nearby, worshipped there during the Second World War.
On social media, council leader Susan Aitken said she is “relieved there is no loss of life” and her “heart goes out to the congregation and all who care about this special place”.
Cllr Martin Rhodes, who represents Partick East/Kelvindale, said: “The fire is so sad for the local Catholic community and the Polish community for which St Simon’s has such importance.
“For Partick, it is, of course, a loss of a beautiful building.
“But St Simon’s is more than a building, it is a community that is part of a wider community.”
The Archdiocese of Glasgow said the cause of the fire was not “immediately apparent” but it would work with fire crews to investigate.
Labour MSP Paul Sweeney said he hoped the church could be saved and restored.
St Simon’s, which is linked to the larger parish of St Peter’s in Partick, where worshippers will now be accommodated, is the third oldest Catholic church in Glasgow.
