An early morning blaze on May 1st ripped through St. William Catholic Church in Avondale, causing extensive destruction and leaving the local community to grapple with the loss of a key place of worship and social services. Flames were seen pouring from the church’s attic as firefighters arrived at the scene near 107th Avenue and Buckeye Road just before 1 a.m., FOX 10 Phoenix reported. Despite their efforts to contain the inferno, the roof eventually caved in, resulting in what Avondale Fire Battalion Chief Steve Mayhew called “a devastating loss to this community.”