Last week, hundreds attended a prayer vigil outside of a Catholic church in Brooklyn, New York, following an attack of vandalism on the parish property, The Christian Post reports.
The attack was believed to have taken place Thursday night when an unknown person jumped the church fence and toppled a statue of the crucifixion of Jesus, breaking it into pieces. The suspect also torched an American flag.
On Friday morning, St. Athanasius Church, located in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn in New York, addressed the incident on its Facebook page.
"We are deeply saddened to inform you that the Cross on our Church property was vandalized last night," the church wrote. "This exhibition of violence and religious hatred is very disturbing. This is definitely an offensive act not only to our parish but to the Catholic Church!"
In a display of support and solidarity, hundreds of members from the community gathered outside the church Friday night for a prayer vigil.
"On such a short notice, we all came together to show how strong our Faith is!" the church rejoiced. “What an amazing crowd! We are one community! We are one family! We love each other!"
In a statement released by the Diocese of Brooklyn, the parish priest, Monsignor David Cassato, described the incident as "an act of hatred."
"… Today is the saddest day of my 20 years here at this parish," he lamented. "I went over and spoke to the students in the school about what happened, telling them that hate never wins. We are, and must be, a community that continues to share the message of Easter, that which is of love, hope, and forgiveness."
The priest noted that the statue of Jesus' crucifixion was set up in 2010 to honor the memory of his mother.
A GoFundMe page was set up by Antoinette Maggiore to raise $5,000 for St. Athanasius Church. So far, close to $4,000 has been made.
"As we all know, this past year has been a trying time for many. Many of us have leaned on our faith and church leaders to help us through," the fundraiser says. "… Sadly, our dear neighborhood church, St. Athanasius, was vandalized in a disturbing act of hatred and violence. I know others, like myself, feel a sense of sadness and grief. The cross fell, but as we believe, if we unite in our sorrow, we will only rise stronger through Christ. Let's help restore the church that has helped us through our trying times."
The NYPD is investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.
Photo courtesy: ©St Athanasius Church
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
