Church vandalism

The Latest

The loss of St. Bernard’s Church in Grouard, Alberta, Canada, on May 22, 2023, makes a sad moment for those with memories of the church, said Grouard-McLennan Archbishop Gerard Pettipas. Two men have been arrested in connection with the fire.

Archbishop mourns loss of historic church in Alberta, Canada, destroyed by arson

May 25, 2023

By The B.C. Catholic

The archbishop of Grouard-McLennan in Northern Alberta says he is saddened but “not overcome” by the loss of a 121-year-old... Read more

The Christ in Death statue after restoration on display at the Cathedral of St. Mary in Fargo, North Dakota.

Grandmother, grandchildren work to restore Fargo cathedral statue destroyed by vandal

May 20, 2023

By Paul Braun / New Earth

Artist Marilyn Loegering is no stranger to difficult projects, but even she was shocked at what she saw in late... Read more

Santiaguito Church in Mexico sustained fire damage, according to a May 15, 2023, statement by the Diocese of Irapuato in the Mexican state of Guanajuato.

Blaze set at iconic Mexican church; Eucharist stolen from another

May 16, 2023

By Ana Paula Morales

The Church of Santiaguito, whose origins date back to the 17th century, is one of the “most emblematic and iconic”... Read more

Maeve Nota vandalized St. Louise Catholic Church in Bellevue, Washington, in June 2022.

Biden DOJ recommends no jail time for attack on Catholic church in Washington state

Apr 13, 2023

By Joe Bukuras

The damage at St. Louise Catholic Church in Bellevue, Washington, amounted to more than $30,000. Read more

Travis Ross, 32, was arrested April 6 by the Otoe County Sheriff’s Office in connection with the vandalism at St. Paulinus Catholic Church in Syracuse, Nebraska.

Arrest made in connection with vandalism of Nebraska Catholic church

Apr 10, 2023

By Joe Bukuras

An arrest has been made in connection with the vandalism of St. Paulinus Catholic Church in Syracuse, Nebraska, that occurred... Read more

On April 1, 2023, a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe was vandalized at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Corona, California.

Statue of Mary smashed at California Catholic church

Apr 6, 2023

By Joe Bukuras

The vandal, a male, was caught on security cameras walking up to the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe and... Read more

St. Paulinus Catholic Church was vandalized sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning prior to Palm Sunday liturgy 2023.

Another act of vandalism: Nebraska Catholic church’s altar flipped over, statue destroyed

Apr 3, 2023

By Joe Bukuras

The pastor of a Catholic church in Syracuse, Nebraska, was shocked when he discovered Saturday morning that the altar had... Read more

Church of the Sacred Heart in Bordeaux, France.

French church vandalized with satanic and anarchist graffiti

Mar 18, 2023

By Diego López Marina

The walls of Sacred Heart Church, located in Bordeaux were vandalized with satanic graffiti and communist and anarchist symbols March... Read more

Police have released images from a surveillance camera of a suspect they say vandalized Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Gales Ferry, Connecticut, on March 11, 2023.

Police looking for man who vandalized Connecticut Catholic church

Mar 13, 2023

By Tyler Arnold

The suspect allegedly smashed windows and painted “hateful” messages on the floor and wall, police said. Read more

null

Pipe bomb found behind Catholic church in Philadelphia

Feb 20, 2023

By Tyler Arnold

An 18-inch pipe bomb was found behind a Catholic church in Philadelphia and removed by the police department’s bomb squad. Read more

Jerrid Farnam, 32, has been charged with several felonies in connection with a violent vandalism at Subiaco Abbey in Subiaco, Arkansas, on Jan. 5, 2023. He said he was about to begin breaking open the tabernacle where the consecrated bread is kept, but something stopped him in his tracks: a statue of the Virgin Mary.

Police say church vandal was about to break into tabernacle — until he saw the statue of Mary

Feb 6, 2023

By Joe Bukuras

The suspect started to take a sledgehammer to the tabernacle where the consecrated bread is kept, but something stopped him... Read more

On Feb. 2, 2023, a vandal desecrated an image of Jesus at the Church of the Flagellation located on the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, the route that Christ walked to Mount Calvary, where he was crucified.

American tourist desecrates statue of Christ in Catholic church in Jerusalem

Feb 2, 2023

By CNA Staff

The attack occurred at the Church of the Flagellation located on the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, the route that Christ... Read more

Statues of Joseph and Mary were stolen from a Nativity scene at St. Patrick’s Co-Cathedral in Billings, Montana, after vandals destroyed the statues the night of Jan. 16, 2023. The statues were found Jan. 26, 2023.

A ‘hate crime’ at Montana Catholic churches? Some think so

Jan 27, 2023

By Tina Dennelly

Vandals destroyed a Nativity scene at St. Patrick’s Co-Cathedral in Billings, Montana, the night of Jan. 16. Read more

The statue, called “Christ in Death,” portrays Jesus’ corpse laying on a burial shroud with a crown of thorns laid alongside his lower legs.

Woman arrested at Fargo cathedral for smashing ‘Christ in Death’ statue

Jan 27, 2023

By Kevin J. Jones

Church surveillance footage reportedly shows the half-dressed suspect, Brittany Marie Reynolds, damaging the statue in St. Mary's Cathedral in Fargo. Read more

Security camera footage shows the same man committing all three acts of vandalism to the California church.

California church vandalized three times since Christmas, suspect apprehended

Jan 12, 2023

By Joe Bukuras

Father Scott Herrera, the church’s pastor, told CNA Thursday that he believes the vandal, who was caught on security cameras... Read more

Subiaco Abbey, in Subiaco, Arkansas, had its altar smashed with a hammer, and relics inside the altar stolen on Jan. 5, 2023. A suspect has been arrested and is set to be charged in connection with the attack.

Arkansas monastery’s altar desecrated with sledgehammer, 1,500-year-old relics stolen

Jan 6, 2023

By Joe Bukuras

A 31-year-old man was arrested Thursday in connection with the crimes committed at the Benedictine Subiaco Monastery. Read more

The numbers “666” were carved into three separate front doors of the historic Cathedral of Saint Peter in the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Christmas Day attack: Vandals carved ‘666’ on doors of Pennsylvania cathedral

Dec 30, 2022

By Joe Bukuras

The pastor of the Cathedral of Saint Peter in the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, discovered on Christmas evening that the... Read more

This photo shows the extent of the damage to St. Andrew Catholic Church. It has been edited to blur the spraypainted phallic images.

Alaska archbishop condemns attacks on Catholic church

Dec 21, 2022

By Peter Pinedo

Archbishop Andrew Bellisario called attention to two recent acts of vandalism that took place at St. Andrew Catholic Church in... Read more

Downingtown Police are searching for a suspect who vandalized four statues at St. Joseph Parish over the weekend of Dec. 10 and Dec. 11.

Suspect caught on camera vandalizing Pennsylvania Catholic church

Dec 14, 2022

By Joe Bukuras

Four statues at St. Joseph Parish in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, were vandalized overnight between Dec. 10 and Dec. 11. Read more

Photo illustration.

Divine Mercy shrine at Catholic parish in Wisconsin defaced with graffiti

Nov 22, 2022

By Jonah McKeown

A photo shared on social media by Father Donald Calloway shows green spray-painted graffiti on one of the exterior granite... Read more