Posted on 09/24/2020 5:50:55 PM PDT by marshmallow
Police are searching for a man who broke into a Catholic church in Florida on Friday and tried to burn it down. The church’s pastor in a Sept. 20 video urged prayers for the man and thanked God that the church survived the attack.
Surveillance video shows a young man, shirtless and wearing a surgical mask and white gloves, breaking into the church and pouring a jug of clear liquid on several of the wooden pews before setting them alight. He fled as the flames erupted, apparently without stealing anything.
The incident happened around 10:36pm Sept. 18 at Incarnation Catholic Church in Town 'n’ Country, Florida, immediately northwest of Tampa.
Fire crews responded swiftly to put out the fire, but the sanctuary sustained significant damage, including the loss of the front section of pews. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is leading a search for the suspect.
Pastor Michael Cormier said during his Sept. 20 Sunday homily that initially he considered closing down the church for the weekend to have work done to restore the pews, canceling the weekend’s Masses.
“But we thought: if we did that, evil would win,” Cormier said.
“We wouldn’t have Mass for one weekend, and evil would win...we have been struck down by this, but not destroyed. In the end, evil never wins.”
Cormier reminded the congregation of the Gospel readings at daily Mass on Sept. 10, from Luke 6:27-38: “...love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
He led the congregation in a prayer of thanks that the “act of evil” did not destroy the church, praying for the assailant “that [God] remove the malice and hatred from his heart.”
“May this terrible act cause us to unify, to love one another.......
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicnewsagency.com ...
What was Richard Durban doing in Florida?
I live in St. Petersburg and this is the first I have read about this.
Doesn’t fit the narrative.
I heard of the fire on WFLA Tuesday. We went past it yesterday (went to Culver’s next to the church) and didn’t seem it was damaged.
A building can be burned out on the inside and appear undamaged on the outside. Like Notre Dame.
This bastard should have been shot dead on the spot.
Where’s that warrior bishop and his bloody sword when we need him?
Demons have to reveal themselves. Satan is not satisfied with just one soul. He wants those who have given themselves to him to go out and show themselves to entice more souls to worship at his feet.
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