A statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe was smashed in half at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Corona, California, on April 1.
“It was very heartbreaking, especially coming at the beginning of Holy Week,” Maria Bravo, the parish office manager, told CNA in a statement Thursday.
“A lot of parishioners were very emotional about it. They brought flowers. Many offered to help in whatever way they could,” she said.
The vandalism occurred at about 11:30 p.m. on the Saturday on the eve of Palm Sunday.
The vandal, a male, was caught on security cameras walking up to the statue and pulling it down, according to John Andrews, communications director for the Diocese of San Bernardino.
The parish has a strong devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe and even has a mural of the apparition on one of the church’s exterior walls. Our Lady of Guadalupe is also the patroness of the Diocese of San Bernardino.
Father Fidel Rivero, the church’s pastor, said his message for the vandal is prayer and forgiveness.
“We just pray for him. We don’t know what his motive was. We ask God to forgive him for whatever he did,” Rivero said.
Full story at Catholic World Report.
Alas, it is time not just for lights on such as these, but also security cameras discreetly hidden, and/or fences with locked gates around these devotionals. It is hard to know whether a zealous protestant or leftist did this work. One thing is for sure: the Church is making enemies quickly these days.
As per the story, he was seen on security camera footage.
Maybe FBI sources in the parish know something.
Hymie, I think you’re on to something.
Prayer for forgiveness is in order, but at the same time, apprehension and conviction is necessary. It is time vandals to sacred Church property, which is occurring far too often, be given the attention it cries out for. Vandals to planned parenthood clinics are given media coverage and are seen as terrorism. This kind of crime should be treated at least on equal with those.
What would Mary want?
Looks like it would be easily replaced from almost any patio and garden shop. It wasn’t a Michelangelo. Let’s be real.