Arkansas Parish Hit by Multiple Vandalism Incidents – Catholic World Report

CNA Newsroom, July 26 2024 / 2:20 PM (CNA).

Police are investigating after an Arkansas parish was hit with three incidents of vandalism in recent months, including the destruction of a statue of the Virgin Mary on parish grounds.

Father Joseph Chan, the pastor of St. Leo Church in Hartford, Arkansas, told CNA that the incidents of vandalism began early last year. The parish is part of the Diocese of Little Rock.

“The first was on February 26, 2023,” he said. “Our St. Leo sign and message board had words/letters removed/scrambled to represent body parts; for example, the letter ‘M’ was removed from the word ‘Mass.’”

“The second was on March 10, 2024, where graffiti was spray-painted on the door of our sacristy,” the pastor said. “It was a racial slur that was typically directed at African Americans.”

The most recent incident occurred on July 13. “An angel and statues of Mary fell to the ground,” Chan said. “Mary’s neck was broken. The statue of Jesus appeared untouched.”

“All three incidents occurred within an 18-month period,” the priest noted.

The police are investigating the crimes.

“Police have been notified, but as far as we know, no suspects involved in the vandalism have been identified,” Chan said.

The pastor said parishioners were “sad” over the incidents.

Mary Radley, a parishioner at the church, told Arkansas Catholic this week that the parish “has filed a request with our insurance company to see how much money we will have to repair the damage.”

Chan, meanwhile, told the local newspaper that “all parishes should have some kind of protection against vandalism,” but “because it is the work of evil, prayer is the best antidote.”

In recent months and years, several Catholic parishes and holy sites in the United States have been victims of vandalism.

A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a prayer garden on the grounds of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception was damaged by an attacker earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Catholic churches, schools and cemeteries in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati were targeted with anti-abortion vandalism ahead of a major state vote on abortion laws.

Last year, Catholic institutions in Texas and Colorado were also targeted by vandalism.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio told EWTN News in March that the numerous attacks on Catholic churches “are not a focus or (attention) of (the Biden administration) or this Justice Department.”

“They can’t find a single person or any of these individuals who are responsible for what is a pretty coordinated effort to attack Catholic churches in America,” Rubio said.