(ZENIT News / New York, 07.11.2024).- In a shocking act of vandalism, a statue of the Infant Jesus, which had stood in the grounds of a New York parish for over 40 years, was decapitated. The incident occurred late June 2024 at the Church of the Holy Family in Flushing, Queens, and was caught on surveillance cameras.
The footage, recorded at 5:30 am on Sunday, May 31, shows a man emerging from his taxi, removing his shoe, and methodically striking the statues of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The vandal targeted the face of St. Joseph first, followed by Mary, and finally the Infant Jesus, decapitating the statue in a disturbing sequence of blows.
Father Sean Suckiel of the Holy Family Church expressed his heartbreak and confusion to ABC-7 New York. «My heart is broken, and the question that keeps coming to mind is, why? This act was very deliberate, and it’s clear the statue wasn’t in his way. So, why do this?»
This incident adds to a troubling trend of vandalism against Catholic churches across the United States. In June alone, a thief broke into St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Portland, Oregon, stealing the tabernacle after midnight. On April 27, vandals spray-painted the doors and sidewalk of St. Patrick’s Church in northwest Portland with the message «My body, my choice.» The same church had been targeted twice before in June and July 2021, during a spate of attacks on four Portland Catholic churches over six weeks.
According to CatholicVote.org, over 400 attacks on Catholic churches have occurred in the United States since 2020. Their «Violence Tracker» indicates that in 2024 alone, there have been more than 27 attacks, with only 25 percent resulting in arrests. The states with the highest number of attacks include California (55), New York (46), Pennsylvania (25), Texas (22), and Oregon (15).
The attack on the Holy Family Church is not the first time the parish has faced vandalism. Last year, an assailant toppled an angel statue from its pedestal. The police are still working to identify the man responsible for the recent decapitation of the Infant Jesus statue.
Local authorities and church officials are calling for increased vigilance and protection of religious sites to prevent further incidents. Father Suckiel and the parish community remain hopeful for justice and a return to peace.
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