KFDM video screengrab / YouTube
A 61-year-old woman drove her pickup truck into the sanctuary of a Texas Catholic church on the morning of July 21, and local police said they believe the crash wasn’t an accident.
According to local CBS affiliate KFDM, the woman first drove around Infant Jesus Catholic Church in Lumberton and then headed to the front of the building. A KFDM reporter who viewed footage of the incident said the woman threw a large painting of a bird at the church. Lumberton Police Chief Danny Sullins added that the driver also had a picture of Jesus with her.
KFDM reported that the woman backed her truck up, then barreled into the sanctuary and reversed into the church’s foyer, causing “major damage.” The crash broke a door and left debris and glass scattered throughout the church.
First responders arrived shortly, and the woman was taken to the hospital due to minor injuries. The local police department and the FBI are conducting an investigation into the crash. KFDM reported Tuesday that no criminal charges have been filed as the investigation continues.
The outlet also reported that the church was unusually empty during the crash. The church holds a youth volunteer event Monday mornings that is generally well attended, but no one had signed up for July 21.
Parishioner Christie Barto told KFDM how grateful she was that by “some miracle nobody was here.”
“It’s a blessing because the only things that were damaged were items and things, but those things can be replaced and we cannot,” she said.
Barto also said that the driver had attempted to ram the altar numerous times, but the baptismal font, which had remained intact, stopped her each time.
The parish community and volunteers quickly came together to help clean the church in time for Mass on Tuesday, KFDM reported. The outlet also added that Bishop David Toups of the Diocese of Beaumont said, “In an instant, people jumped in and helped out and that’s the beautiful part of this story.”
“God is always at work through us through the body of Christ,” Bishop Toups added, “through the church, through the faithful who show up to make sure that their church will always be a place of worship no matter what damage was done.”
>> Tracker: 500 Attacks on U.S. Catholic Churches Since May 2020 <<
