Police investigating ‘desecration’ of Catholic church in Indiana

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Police investigating ‘desecration’ of Catholic church in Indiana
The destruction included a statue of St. Joseph, a 'stained-glass window on the confessional,' and candles, according to a police report.



St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church in Michigan City, Indiana
LifeSiteNews

Dec 3, 2024
MICHIGAN CITY, Indiana (LifeSiteNews) — Police are investigating a vandalism at a Catholic church in Michigan City, Indiana.

But in a positive sign, the church, St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, will reopen in time for its patronal feast this upcoming Monday.

“It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the desecration of St. Mary’s Church on Wednesday evening,” Queen of All Saints Parish announced Nov. 28. “The extensive damage sustained inside and outside the church will require significant repairs.”

LifeSiteNews observed a broken front door, boarded up with wood when it visited the parish on Friday afternoon.

St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception’s services were moved to nearby Queen of All Saints for the week. Both churches are overseen by the same priests.

“Our perspective is to pray for the person or persons who desecrated the church,” Fr. David Kime, the pastor, told LifeSiteNews via email. “It has been an experience of great sorrow for many of the parishioners and we pray that everyone will find healing.”

“Our faith tells us that God only allows these things if he intends to bring even more good from the experience of evil,” Fr. Kime said.

The destruction includes a statue of St. Joseph, a “stained-glass window on the confessional,” and candles, according to a police report obtained by a local news station. The statue is reportedly over 100 years old.

“If you think about a statue that’s been in a church for well over 100 years, the amount of devotion, the affection, the prayers that have gone up to heaven through the intercession of St. Jospeh, it really is a loss for the community,” Fr. Kime told ABC 7.

The Michigan City Police Department provided further comments to LifeSiteNews via email but said a police report was unavailable.

According to Captain Kevin Urbanczyk, Fr. Zach Glick “reported damage to various areas inside the church (on Nov. 28).  The responding officer also noticed a statue at neighboring Marquette High School (across the street) was damaged.”

There are currently no suspects, but police are reviewing surveillance footage and “the motive is currently unknown at this time,” Capt. Urbanczyk said via email.

Security footage from Marquette High School, which sits just across the street from the front of St. Mary’s, reportedly captured the suspect. The Catholic high school had its own statue “pushed over and decapitated,” according to ABC 7. The news outlet reported that damages are estimated at $20,000.

“It was interesting that it happened on Thanksgiving morning,” Fr. Glick told ABC 7. “Personally, I think it helped us appreciate what we have to be thankful for more.”

The church will reopen by the following Monday, Dec. 9. A schedule posted for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception shows Masses at St. Mary’s.

The parish began in 1867 as a merger with another church. St. Mary’s started in 1859, according to a sign outside the church. The church is located in the Diocese of Gary.

Catholic churches have been the target of vandalism and other attacks for the past several years. There were at least 400 attacks on Catholic churches from 2020 through February 2024, according to data compiled by CatholicVote.