Salem congregation perseveres one year after arson

SALEM, Ore. – The congregation of Salem’s oldest Catholic parish is slowly moving forward, one year after the building was destroyed by fire. On Monday, 49-year-old Billy Sweeten was sentenced to 38 months, or a little over three years, in prison for first-degree arson, along with 36 months of post-prison supervision. In Aug. 2023, Sweeten lit recycling bins on fire at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Salem. The flames spread through the church, extensively damaging the roof.

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