Video Screengrab by Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church / Facebook
CV NEWS FEED // Local police are investigating vandalism that took place last week at a local Catholic parish in New Orleans, Louisiana, where someone broke the hands off of a statue of Jesus and moved a statue of St. Padre Pio.
The vandalism occurred on May 31 outside of Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church, according to News Talk 99.6 WRNO.
The suspect is seen on security camera footage entering the church’s garden by jumping a fence, Yahoo!News reported. The suspect first picked up a small statue of St. Padre Pio and carried it over to the front door of the church. In security camera footage posted by the church, the suspect is also seen carrying a bike.
“After, the person knocked the hands off the statue of Jesus,” Yahoo!News reported. After this, the suspect is seen on security camera footage leaving with the bike.
The church’s pastor, Fr. Herbert Kiff, said that he is telling parishioners to show forgiveness and see that the suspect is someone who is hurting.
However, Fr. Kiff said, “Mercy does not negate justice. As a pastor, I’m responsible for both. I’m going to show mercy for our perpetrator, and at the same time, protection for my parishioners.”
According to news outlet 4WWLTV, Fr. Kiff also said, “You pray for those who persecute you, but it’s not about this fellow. That’s not it. It’s about what’s going on in the world. It is an anti-Catholic, anti-Christian environment.
According to CatholicVote’s Violence Tracker, over 400 attacks or vandalisms against Catholic Churches in the United States have occurred since May 2020.
