As reported on 10 July, St. Bonifatius Church in Münster will remain closed outside of services due to a series of troubling acts of vandalism. According to the local pastor, Dr Heike Köhler, the building has repeatedly been defiled with faeces and littered with broken beer bottles. There have also been incidents of arson. Most recently, photographs of baptism candidates were deliberately set on fire.
“The vandalism began already around Easter,” Pastor Köhler stated. But with the burning of the baptism photos, a line has clearly been crossed.
Due to ongoing attacks, the church can no longer be left open without supervision. According to a statement on the chruch's official website, it is now only open during scheduled services or when there is direct supervision. The church is looking for volunteers to help keep it open by supervising it.