Southern California Church Has Mural Vandalized With a Sledgehammer

A community in Van Nuys, California, recently woke up to an act of vandalism. The face of the Virgin Mary had been smashed on a mural at St. Elisabeth Catholic Church. And surveillance video captured the culprit in the act.

Father Vito DiMarzio explains that he was heartbroken to watch the desecration of a sacred figure. “You feel bad; you have no words. In the Catholic faith, the Virgin Mary is special because she is the mother of Jesus, the mother of God.” He added, “I was shocked, and I went to mass, and I invited all the people to pray for the altar.”

Father DiMarzio says he reported the incident to the police and hopes justice will be served. He also hopes the culprit is caught but not punished, so they can get help. “I’m not angry.  Since the beginning, we were praying for him that he will repent and realize that it is something very wrong. For sure, he needs some help, especially medical attention, I’m sure.”

In the meantime, the church is asking for donations to repair the damage and put plexiglass over the mural to protect it in the future.

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