The church of Saints Bassiano and Fereolo in Lodi fell victim to attempted arson. This occurrence follows a pattern of similar acts of vandalism and arson in Lodi over the past year.
On the afternoon of June 16, the parish priest of Saints Bassiano and Fereolo Catholic church raised the alarm of an attempt to set fire to the parish church altar in Lodi, Lombardy. Father Elia Croce, the priest who has led the parish for over ten years, said he found ash on the floor of the church and noticed that the altar linens were singed on the corners. Further, Fr Croce was grateful that the fire seemed to have extinguished on its own, preventing serious damage. Nonetheless, he affirmed that such an attempt was "a terrible act."
This occurence in San Fereolo was not the first attempt of arson in Lodi, and follows a series of vandalism in the area. The local news reported that in January 2023 a missal was set on fire in Santa Cabrini and more recently in Borgo there were two reported instances of vandalism, including damage to three statues and a crucifix being thrown down in the Church of Saint Rocco (OIDAC reported). There were two suspected perpetrators in the respective events.