New York senator pushes for more church security after crimes, vandalism at Catholic parishes

Jan 13, 2026 / 14:55 pm

A state senator in New York is pushing for increased security after multiple crimes at Catholic parishes.

Several Catholic churches on Staten Island have been vandalized or attacked in recent weeks in what State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton described as “vile” acts of defacement and theft.

St. Sylvester’s Church was defaced with human feces on Christmas Day, according to local news reports, with camera footage capturing the vandal committing the act during the morning Christmas Mass.

Father Jacob Thumma told local media that the perpetrator “[looked] like he may be a homeless or disturbed person.”

“I feel sorry for him and wonder why he did that on the joyful day of Christmas,” the priest said at the time.

At. St. Roch’s Roman Catholic Church on Dec. 28, meanwhile, a criminal broke into the church rectory and reportedly stole a towel.

At St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church in the Dongan Hills neighborhood, an assailant reportedly interrupted a 7 a.m. Mass by breaking an angel statue, snatching the missal and a cross from the altar, tearing down flowers, and damaging the sanctuary’s marble floor.

Two responding police officers were reportedly injured during the incident.

‘Nobody should feel unsafe where they pray’

Scarcella-Spanton said in an interview Jan. 13 she has reached out to the churches and the local police precinct regarding the attacks, which have occurred within her district.

The senator said it does not appear as if the incidents were coordinated. “It does seem as if they were unique incidents and not an organized effort,” she said.

Still, “we want a meeting with the police precinct and with clergy,” she said, “just to see if there’s anything we can do to help them.”

Scarcella-Spanton pointed to the New York government’s Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes program, which distributes government grants to protect vulnerable institutions. Houses of worship are able to access those funds, she said.

“This is for security, whether it’s people or cameras — just in any way, shape, or form,” she said.

The senator said the attack on St. Ann’s particularly affected her.

“I grew up in Dongan Hills where St. Ann’s is,” she said. “My kids went to preschool there. I went there for CCD.”

“I can’t imagine how scary that must have been for people” during the attack, she said.

In her statement, Scarcella-Spanton said she was “extremely troubled” by the incidents.

“Church is a place of peace and reflection; nobody should feel unsafe where they pray,” she said.