The police arrested a 23 -year -old man suspected to vandalize and desecrate the interior of a Catholic parish in Wichita, Kansas (United States) over the weekend.
According to the Wichita Police Department, the agents responded on March 15 to a robbery report in the parish of San Patricio. Inside they found damaged images, candles and crystals, as well as graffiti with hate speeches on the walls. An American flag was also burned.
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The parish, which includes a school, is located in the center-north of Wichita and mainly serves the Latin community. The authorities reported that the Wichita Police Department initiated an exhaustive investigation together with the Federal Office of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
At approximately 2:20 am on Sunday, the agents located and arrested the alleged author, whom they described as originally from Saline County, about 160 kilometers north of Wichita. The man, whose identity has not been publicly revealed, was admitted to the Sedgwick County prison for charges of robbery, criminal desecration and property damage.
The Kansas Catholic Conference, which represents the bishops of the State, published photos on social networks of the “hate crime scene.” One of the destroyed statues seemed to be an image of the patron saint of the parish, St. Patrick.
“After forcing the entrance, the statues were destroyed, broken crystals and serious damage to this sacred space were inflicted,” the conference wrote. “A satanic website was scribbled on a wall. This is the face of evil.”
While the weekend masses were held in the school gym, the parish could carry out the Patricio Day Parade on Sunday, its patron saint. CNA – Ewtn News English agency – contacted Wichita’s diocese to obtain comments, but did not receive a response to the closing of this edition.
Vandalism in the Church of San Patricio occurs in the midst of the controversy in Kansas for a “black mass” organized by Satanists, scheduled for March 28 at the Kansas state capitol in Topeka. About 40,000 people have signed a request led by Catholics asking Governor Laura Kelly to cancel the event.
Chuck Weber, executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference, told CNA on Monday that there is currently no evidence that the Wichita incident is related to the planned satanic worship ritual for the purposes of the month.
He added that the direction of a satanic website was left written in the Church, but does not refer to the same group that plans to go to Topeka.
Weber previously declared CNA that the group organizer who plans the “black mass”, Michael Stewart, has been calling the Catholic conference with the purpose of “making fun of me and the bishops”, even sending text messages to harass him and boast of his intention to “kill Jesus.”
Stewart granted an interview with local media last week in which he described the “Mass” as an act of protest against authority and said the group plans to celebrate its ritual within the Capitol, although Kelly decreed that they must remain outdoors. He also said that the group plans to stop the Crucis via.
Translated and adapted by the ACI Press team. Originally published in CNA.
Jonah McKeown
Jonah McKeown is editor and producer of Podcasts of Catholic News Agency. He has a master’s degree from the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri and has worked as a writer, radio producer and cameraman.