BALTIMORE (CNS) – Following a tragic Jan. 12 northeast Baltimore, Md., house fire in which six children lost their lives, nearby Catholic institutions are joining the effort to aid the stricken Malone family, who have ties to the Catholic Church.

One of the family’s nine children, an eight-year-old girl, was able to pull herself and two of her brothers, ages four and five, out of the early morning fire. All six of the other children died: two boys, ages nine months and two years; three-year-old twin girls; and two more girls, ages 10 and 11.

The fire reportedly enveloped all three floors of the home. The third floor collapsed onto the second, which also partially collapsed, and firefighters had to fight the blaze from outside.

The father, William Malone, was at work at the time of the fire. The mother, Katie Malone, and the three surviving children were taken to area hospitals. The eight-year-old has since been released.

“On behalf of the Catholic clergy and laity of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, I offer heartfelt condolences for the family and friends of the lives lost and impacted by the tragic fire in Baltimore today,” Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori said. “We ask God’s blessing for his beloved children who we deeply mourn and for his loving embrace of those left behind.”

Father John Williamson, pastor of Church of the Ascension in Halethorpe and St. Augustine in Elkridge, said he had baptized at least one of the Malone children, the surviving eight-year-old.

Her grandparents, Henry and Sandra Ward, the parents of Katie Malone, are “very active” parishioners and extraordinary ministers of holy Communion at Ascension, he said.

Father Williamson said he let parishioners know about the tragedy and requested help via the electronic communication platform Flocknote.

Father Williamson added that poor box contributions from the weekend of Jan. 14-15 from both Ascension and St. Augustine would be donated to the Malones.