Flames ripped through the sacristy at St. Helena’s Catholic Church in Parkchester Sunday night, leaving broken glass and burnt walls in its wake.

Father David Powers says Mass had just ended and parishioners were still inside the building when the fire began. They were quickly able to call the FDNY.

There were no injuries, and the flames did not spread beyond the sacristy – a room behind the alter where priests prepare services.

The FDNY is still investigating the exact cause of the fire. Powers believes it was electrical, saying that some of the building's wiring dates to its original 1940 construction.

Future Masses will be held in a separate building behind the church until repairs can be made.