After vandalism, Houston parish welcomes back refurbished Our Lady of Guadalupe statue

CNA Staff, Apr 15, 2021 / 12:53 pm

A Catholic parish in Houston held an inauguration ceremony this week for a refurbished statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe that had been vandalized late last year.

The ceremony, held April 11, was attended by parishioners of Queen of Peace Catholic Church. The statue was adorned with flowers, ABC13 news reported.

In December of 2020, the Our Lady of Guadalupe statue was shot with at least six bullets, reported parishioners. Witnesses of the attack said the perpetrator was wearing a black hat and a red suit.

In early February, the statue was repaired and brought back to its home.

“Good morning brothers and sisters in Christ,” a February 2 Instagram post from the Queen of Peace Catholic Church account read. “Please be advised that the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe is now back at QOP. Thank you all so much for your prayers and may our Lord God bless you and bless the hands that repaired her.”

The attack follows a string of other vandalism incidents this year.

On Saturday March 13, Saint Joseph’s Parish on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. was vandalized with graffiti.

In early January, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Catholic Church in Abbeville, La., was attacked in a similar manner. A statue of Saint Therese of Lisieux was found spray-painted on with an upside-down cross, the word ‘satan’, and a pentagram.

In early February three angel statues at St. Pius X Church in El Paso were found toppled over and broken.