Church fire

ST. LOUIS -- A Christmas Eve fire destroyed a St. Louis church that congregation members say was more than 100 years old.

Resurrection Lutheran Church was believed to have been empty when the fire began. A service had been held there earlier in the day, and the church did not plan to have a Christmas service.

All that was left of the building was the stone facade.

"It's a total loss," said fire department spokesman Capt. Steve Simpson.

The cause of the blaze was not yet known, he said.

Members of the congregation said that inside was a relief depicting the Last Supper and ornate stained-glass windows.

"It's a gorgeous church," said church member Denby Blackwell, watching the fire from across the street.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com