Mass celebrated after fire

damages centuries-old church

SAN GABRIEL, Calif. (AP) — Mass was celebrated Sunday on the grounds of a historic Catholic church in Southern California that had been heavily damaged by fire a day earlier.

The blaze early Saturday destroyed the rooftop and most of the interior of San Gabriel Mission, which was undergoing renovation to mark its upcoming 250th anniversary celebration.

Archbishop Jose H. Gomez presided over Sunday’s service at a chapel near the burned sanctuary.

Liccia Beck said she was saddened by news of the fire at her home parish. She was among a crowd of worshipers which arrived early to pray the rosary before the Mass.

“I’m hoping that more people will show up throughout the day,” Beck said. “We need to pray for our churches and our people that they’re safe.”

Parishioners wore masks and kept a distance from each other because of the coronavirus epidemic.

Nobody was hurt in the fire.

Gomez said in a statement that historic paintings and other artifacts had been removed as part of the renovations.

Chatham announces plan to buy

newspaper publisher McClatchy

NEW YORK (AP) — Hedge fund Chatham Asset Management plans to buy newspaper publisher McClatchy out of bankruptcy, ending 163 years of family control.

The companies did not put a price on the deal in an announcement Sunday. The agreement still needs the approval of a bankruptcy judge; a hearing is scheduled for July 24.

McClatchy is one of the largest newspaper companies in the U.S. It owns 30 papers including the Miami Herald, the Charlotte Observer and the Sacramento Bee. It filed for bankruptcy protection because of a heavy debt load stemming from its $4.5 billion purchase of the Knight-Ridder newspaper chain in 2006, just as the newspaper industry went into steep decline.

Chatham was McClatchy’s largest shareholder and debt holder. It beat out a bid from Alden Global Capital, another hedge fund that has taken a leading role in the U.S. newspaper business.