Smoke damage inside the building is one of the major concerns for St Carthage’s Cathedral in the aftermath of last Friday’s fire at the Lismore church.

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The fire in the sacristy of the church building was found to be deliberately lit and is still being investigated by the church’s insurance agency. A man was arrested and charged by local police on Saturday for lighting the fire.

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Catholic Diocesan director of communications Joe Pereira said the insurance company was still formalising the final report and they were waiting for it to come through.

“There was a fair bit of smoke damage, but we don’t know the extent of that yet,” he said. 

“We are concerned about the magnificent pipe organ in the building and are looking out for that.”

Mr Pereira said the cathedral was still off limits, but that masses were still being conducted in St Mary’s Chapel – located next to the cathedral.

“We can have 85 participants at a time in the chapel,” he said. “We still have church services going vis our Youtube channel - no matter what the circumstances are. Bishop Homeming is the most watched bishop in Australia.

“We’d like to have the cathedral back as soon as possible, but it’ll take more time until the insurance company fixes it.

Mr Pereira said the destruction of the cathedral was a major concern for the whole community, not just Catholics.

“We’ve been heartened by the concern and response from the whole community as a result of the fire. It’s a building beloved by many.”