St. Joseph's arsonist sentenced to prison one year after fire

The man who set fire to St. Joseph's Catholic Church in downtown Salem will serve more than three years in prison after being convicted of first-degree arson.

The fire burned a hole in the roof of the sacristy and main sanctuary of the church and left extensive smoke damage.

Billy J. Sweeten, 49, was sentenced Monday in Marion County District Court after pleading no contest to arson charges. He faces 38 months in prison followed by three years of probation.

He also pleaded guilty to a first-degree trespassing charge for damaging computer equipment at Salem Hospital on August 28, days before the church fire. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison, to be served concurrently with his arson sentence.

His address last August was listed in court records as “Union Gospel Mission in Salem.”

According to investigators, Sweeten set fire to the church's recycling dumpster before 2:30 a.m. on August 31, 2023. The fire burned the roof of the church's sacristy and nave and left significant smoke damage.

Salem Fire Department fire commanders soon activated additional alarms to request more crews and equipment. Eventually, the number of fire alarms rose to five, the first time in recent years that this had happened in Salem.

It took about 90 minutes to get the fire under control, said Brian Carrara, deputy fire chief, at the time. At noon that day, more than 100 parishioners met in the church parking lot for an open-air mass under tents and umbrellas.

Sweeten was arrested that same afternoon.

After the fire, the church held its services outdoors under tents until October when it moved to the school's gymnasium. Until Thanksgiving, office workers dressed warmly because the fire destroyed the heating system in the old building.

Earlier this month, St. Joseph posted photos on Facebook reporting on the progress of roof repairs in the main sanctuary.

“Sandblasting of the walls has been completed and workers are continuing to work on the roof to ensure everything is sealed before the rainy season. Saint Joseph, our patron saint, pray for us and those working on our church,” the post said.

According to Carrara, the total damage to the building amounted to over one million dollars.

The church has set a fundraising goal of $100,000 to repair the damage. In addition, special cleaning of the pipe organ, frescoes and stained glass windows is required to repair the damage caused by smoke.

Father Jeff Meeuwsen, who took over leadership of the Salem church two months before the fire, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the repairs or the verdict.

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St. Joseph's Parish Mourns and Prays After Arson at Salem's Shrine

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Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-575-1251.

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Abbey McDonald joined the Salem Reporter in 2022. Previously, she worked as a business reporter at the Astorian, where she covered labor issues, health care and social services. A graduate of the University of Oregon, she also reported for the Malheur Enterprise, The News-Review and Willamette Week.