Investigation Underway After Citrus Heights Church Vandalized With Hate Symbol
CITRUS HEIGHTS (CBS13) — A Citrus Heights church was targeted by vandals Monday night.
The Holy Family Parish says the Virgin Mary statue was beheaded and the ten commandments was spray-painted with a swastika.
The statue and monument have since been repaired. Police are now investigating the incident.
Fr. Enrqiue Alvarez, pastor at the church, issued the following statement:
"It is heartbreaking to see desecration to an image of Our Blessed Lady, and distressing to try to comprehend why someone would do this. While we have no way of knowing the motive for this shameful action, we do know this: it makes no statement, advances no cause, and uplifts no one. It merely creates more sorrow in a time already full of it.
I ask our Holy Family community to join me in prayer for the person or persons who would do this and who would seek to add to the sorrows in our world and bring pain to those who have done them no harm. Actions of this sort are likely born of inner pain for which we must have compassion."