Skip to content
Deacon Keith Fournier Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you. Help Now >

Virgin Mary statue BEHEADED: Catholic Churches and statues become targets of vandalism

Free World Class Education
FREE Catholic Classes
At least three statues of Mary were vandalized in separate incidents over the weekend.

Several attacks on Catholic Churches in the United States occurred over the weekend, including three separate instances of vandalism on a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Deacon Keith Fournier Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you. Help Now >
There is no known motive for the attacks.

There is no known motive for the attacks.

Highlights

By Abigail James (CALIFORNIA NETWORK)
7/16/2020 (3 years ago)

Published in Living Faith

Keywords: Virgin Mary, Vandalism, Anti-Catholic, Attack, Arson

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - "What a strange time [we live in]," Bishop Richard Stika of Knoxville tweeted on July 13. "Over the weekend, an outdoor statue of the Blessed Mother was beheaded at St. Stephen Parish in Chattanooga." 

The Chattanooga, Tennessee attack became the third reported incident against a statue of Mary in the same weekend, according to Catholic News Agency.

On July 11, Father Manuel Perez, a pastor of Chattanooga's St. Stephen Catholic Church, noticed the Blessed Virgin Mary statue had been knocked down. After getting a closer look, he realized it wasn't just knocked down, the statue had also been beheaded, and the head was no where to be found.

According to reports, there was no other damage done to the church.

"Anytime something like this happens, it's disappointing and it's concerning," expressed Jim Wogan, director of communications for the Diocese of Knoxville, noting there aren't any local controversies around this church that would spark such an attack.

In addition to this beheading attack, a statue of Mary, in Boston, was set on fire, and in Brooklyn, a statue was tagged in black spray paint with the word, "IDOL."

In this same weekend, a parish in Florida and the California mission founded by St. Junipero Serra were both burned in arson attacks. 

According to Wong, we are in a "very chaotic time in our history."

"Anger seems to be sort of a default setting for people right now," he shared. "And I think our bishop and our pastors would hope that people would remember the sort of example that is set in the Gospels--that, we're to treat each other as we'd want to be treated."

Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.

Lent logo
Saint of the Day logo
Light Your Free Payer Candle for a departed loved one

What is Palm Sunday?

Live on March 20, 2024 @ 10am PDT

Catholic Online Logo

Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.

Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.