Just days before the Virgen del Carmen festivities in Rute, the parish of Santa Catalina was vandalised with black paint being spilled across its main entrance.
Just days before the major celebrations of the Patron Saint Festivities in Rute, the parish of Santa Catalina was vandalised when paint was deliberately spilled across the steps and grille of its main façade.
The incident occurred early in the morning, and parish priest Bernard Huamán emphasised that it was neither accidental nor related to any scheduled maintenance. Although no legible messages accompanied the act-unlike previous vandalism at another local church-the parish and City Council filed a formal complaint with the Civil Guard.
Community members and local authorities expressed outrage and parishioners swiftly organised cleanup efforts, reaffirming the church’s cultural and religious importance and vowing that the festivities would proceed undiminished.