DaSilva, who has been the parochial-vicar of the church for three years, also recalled an incident in Ocala, Florida on Saturday, when Steven Anthony Shields was alleged to have driven his vehicle into a Catholic Church and then lit the foyer area on fire while parishioners were inside preparing for mass. James Kuroly, Cathedral Prep's rector and president, called the incident "an act of hatred. “We don’t know if this was the targeted desecration of a sacred statue, or some kind of misguided prank, but it hurts. "Anytime something like this happens it is disappointing and concerning," said Diocese of Knoxville diocesan spokesman Jim Wogan in a statement. “I’m not sure there was any sense or meaning behind it.”. In Los Angeles a fire ravaged Mission San Gabriel Arcangel church in the predawn hours of July 11. News reports said flowers in Mary’s hands were set on fire, causing damage from her arms up to her face. Police later apprehended the suspect who had fled the scene, identified as Anthony Steven Shields, 24, who was charged with several felonies, including attempted second-degree murder, arson to a structure and felony fleeing or attempting to elude. Once inside, he set the interior of the church ablaze. Fire also claimed much of two Catholic churches, one in Florida and one in California. “It is too soon to arrive to any conclusion, but we have seen other churches vandalized around the country. Jesus statue found vandalized at a church in Kendall. Unlike many media companies, The Catholic Register has never charged readers for access to the news and information on our website. Police in Boston were likewise investigating a fire that damaged a statue of Mary outside St. Peter Church the evening of July 11. A wave of recent attacks on Catholic statues includes an unidentified person using red paint to deface a statue of Mary in front of St. Mary’s Cathedral in downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado, July 15. Your email address will not be published. “Our bishop has asked that we live by the example set in the Gospel of Matthew, to treat others as we ourselves would want to be treated.”, Knoxville Bishop Richard F. Stika tweeted about the incident July 13, saying “what a strange time” we live in. Once inside, he set the interior of the church ablaze. Your gift will strengthen the fabric of our entire Catholic community. The vandalism in Miami follows a series of separate incidents, which include multiple statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ at Catholic Churches across the country that have been defaced and a fire at the San Gabriel Mission in California, which is being investigated. Investigators have not yet determined what started the blaze that gutted the 230-year-old church. MIAMI (CNS) — The beheading of a statue of Christ at a Catholic church in the Miami Archdiocese has saddened the parish community of Good Shepherd Church and prompted Miami Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski to call on law enforcement to investigate the incident as a hate crime. ", "Obviously, this tragedy saddens us deeply," he said in a statement, "but it also renews our hope and faith in the Lord as he has shown his goodness in the many people who have already reached out to us." MIAMI (CNS) — The beheading of a statue of Christ at a Catholic church in the Miami Archdiocese has saddened the parish community of Good Shepherd Church and prompted Miami Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski to call on law enforcement to investigate the incident as a hate crime. In the Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee, Father Manuel Perez, pastor of St. Stephen Catholic Church in Chattanooga, found a statue of Mary on the parish grounds knocked over and beheaded. For more details, review our privacy policy. "It is … Father James Kuroly, Cathedral Prep’s rector and president, called the incident “an act of hatred.”, “Obviously, this tragedy saddens us deeply,” he said in a statement, “but it also renews our hope and faith in the Lord as he has shown his goodness in the many people who have already reached out to us.” He urged prayers “for those who committed this act of vandalism and hatred toward Our Lady and the church.”. Learn more here, Copyright © The National Catholic Reporter Publishing Company | 115 E. Armour Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64111 | 1-800-444-8910, A decapitated statue of Jesus is seen at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Miami July 15, 2020. Silence? Police in Boston were likewise investigating a fire that damaged a statue of Mary outside St. Peter Church the evening of July 11. ", Knoxville Bishop Richard F. Stika tweeted about the incident July 13, saying "what a strange time" we live in. A statue of Jesus Christ was vandalized Wednesday outside a Catholic Church in Miami, an incident church leaders say they expect to be investigated as a hate crime, WSVN reported. The statue, located at southwest Miami-Dade’s Good Shepherd Catholic Church, was found decapitated and removed from its pedestal, and the Rev. As Breitbart News previously reported, two monuments depicting the Virgin Mary were vandalized in Queens, New York City, and Boston, Massachusetts. For more than 125 years, The Register has been a trusted source of faith-based journalism. "The statue, located outside the church, was on private and sacred property," said Mary Ross Agosta, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Miami. A statue of Mary was found defaced July 10 on the grounds of Cathedral Prep School and Seminary in the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York. "For whatever reason we are living in a very chaotic time and anger seems to be the default setting for people," he added. A statue of Jesus Christ has been ripped from its plinth, and decapitated at the Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday. In the Diocese of Orlando, Florida, a man crashed his van through the doors of Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Ocala early in the morning July 11. Statue of Christ the Good Shepherd after attack Tuesday night. "We don't know if this was the targeted desecration of a sacred statue, or some kind of misguided prank, but it hurts. "For whatever reason we are living in a very chaotic time and anger seems to be the default setting for people," he added. In the Diocese of Orlando, Florida, a man crashed his van through the doors of Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Ocala early in the morning July 11. A small, automated monthly donation means you can support us continually and easily. In recent weeks around the country, angry mobs have toppled statues of figures such as St. Junipero Serra, a Franciscan priest from Spain who founded several missions in California. The Rev. She told the local Fox News affiliate Archbishop Wenski requested investigators consider the vandalism “a hate crime.”. “For whatever reason we are living in a very chaotic time and anger seems to be the default setting for people,” he added. Father James Kuroly, Cathedral Prep's rector and president, called the incident "an act of hatred. "I'm not sure there was any sense or meaning behind it.". pic.twitter.com/YB5VVeSwU2, — Dr Taylor Marshall, CATHOLIC (@TaylorRMarshall) July 15, 2020, Good Shepherd Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Miami had the statue if its namesake vandalized early Wednesday morning.