Posted on 05/08/2012 8:49:04 AM PDT by SmithL
A vandal or vandals caused widespread damage at Holy Cross Church early Sunday in what police are investigating as a possible hate crime.
The damaged items included a baptismal font brought to Mission Santa Cruz by Junipero Serra in the late 1700s, a church spokesman said...
A custodian discovered the destruction to the main church and other areas on the property about 6:50 a.m.,
...It included windows shattered by rocks and paint sprayed and poured on doors, walls, statues, a fountain area and sidewalks, Friend said. Some anti-church slogans and symbols were painted, he said.
Targets included the main church, the museum, the adjacent Siena House (a home serving pregnant women), and a garden area beside the historic chapel, said Warren Hoy, spokesman for the Diocese of Monterey.
The vandal or vandals went so far as to climb on the roof so they could spray paint on the church's bell tower, Hoy said.
Paint was a poured on statues of Junipero Serra and the blessed Virgin Mary, he said.
Those statues and the original baptismal font were in a garden area adjacent to the chapel and Mission Galeria gift shop, he said.
"They got a little bit of everything,"
..."The sad thing is a lot of stuff they damaged were cultural artifacts, so they were not just attacking the church," he said. "It's the history of it." Holy Cross has suffered vandalism before, some of it specifically aimed at the history of the Mission era.
"Holy Cross is something of a lightening rod," Hoy said. "It is the obvious famous church in Santa Cruz, so if you want to do something to the Church, with a capital C, you attack the Catholic Church, and when you do, you attack Holy Cross.
(Excerpt) Read more at contracostatimes.com ...
From when saner minds prevailed.
Indeed - such a statue design would NEVER be submitted by the State of California today.
Hey, don’t give them any ideas. ;-)
Not much has changed.
That you were at the Dream Inn is/was no guarentee of safety.
It’s in the middle of the people’s republic. The only time I get close is by boat after killing salmon.
Sad.
Muslims -- not! Many venerate Miriam and would not dream to deface her statute or the ground it resided upon.
Bless Junipero Serra pray for us.
Blessed Junipero Serra pray for us.
Graven images are anathema to islam. Statues of anyone are common targets for their childish tantrums.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.