Posted on 06/07/2006 2:03:53 PM PDT by Coleus
Parishioners attending morning Mass at Holy Cross Catholic Church on Tuesday encountered spray-painted Satanic messages on the church facade and stairs, which the Rev. Mark Stetz said was likely tied to Tuesday's date: 06-06-06.
"I think it's a very broad attack on God," Stetz said, noting that it's the most severe attack he's seen at the church in a half-decade.
The messages included "666" and "Christian Holocaust."
Police are investigating the vandalism as a hate crime, said police spokesman Zach Friend.
It was the third time in six months that the church has been the target of vandals. Previous vandalism incidents, which had political overtones, had hit the Mission Chapel, the city park across the street and the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park, but not the historic church, according to Stetz.
Police have not ruled out a connection between Tuesday's vandalism and previous graffiti found on church property, although both investigators and Stetz noted the tone of the spray-painted messages shifted from political to hateful. In Tuesday's incident, vandals used stencils to paint about 10 messages on the church facade. "What they did was very methodical," Friend said. "It appears planned." Multiple incidents of vandalism have been reported at a half-dozen Santa Cruz churches this year, including an attack that greeted Easter worshippers at Santa Cruz Missionary Baptist Church.
In February, vandals used a stencil to leave specially crafted messages and images about a half-foot across on Holy Cross, Messiah Lutheran, High Street Community, First Congregational and Calvary Episcopalian. One compared a cross to a swastika. Also struck were the Agnus Dei Christian bookstore on Cedar Street and the Santa Cruz Mission Adobe park, which is near Holy Cross.
Two of those sites had also been vandalized in October, police said. But Tuesday's vandalism was "the worst I've seen in my five years here," Stetz said. "This is not ordinary vandalism." Volunteers from Graffiti-Free Santa Cruz, a program through the city's Redevelopment Agency, responded Tuesday morning to paint over the graffiti. Stetz also moved morning Mass, which is normally held in the Mission Chapel on weekdays, into the church.
"I just thought 'This is our home' and I'm not going to let somebody mess with it," Stetz said. Police ask anyone with information about the church vandalism to contact the investigations division at 420-5820 or call the anonymous tip line at 420-5995.
Busy little democrats.
It was vandalism......period.
I really hate the term "Hate Crime".
It's a Hate Crime to hate the term Hate Crime.
:-)
It's a Hate Crime to hate the term Hate Crime.
:-)
...cute ;)
I hate all the 'hate crime' talk. A crime is a crime, and people don't commit crimes against you because they love you.
Impossible. There is no such thing as a "Hate Crime" against Catholics and you know it.
Ridiculous! 'Hate' crimes can't be committed against Christians. /s They must have gotten the wrong building.
When they get caught, they'll screech about their First Amendment rights.
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