All cases
Historic Church Stained-Glass Window Damaged with Stone
April 30, 2022, GermanyThe outer protective pane of a historically significant stained glass window of the Evangelical Church of Peace in Manching, was broken with a stone that was thrown at it. The windows were made by Arno Bromberger, who taught at the Academy of Arts in Munich and is famous for his stained glass church windows. The crime happened on April 30th but it was not known who did it.
Graffiti on Historical Church in Barcelona
April 29, 2022, SpainThe heritage church of Santa Maria del Pi, in the Barri Gòtic of Barcelona, had a large amount of graffiti painted on its façade on April 29th. As well as defacing the church, the graffiti also damaged a medieval shield as it may be difficult to remove the black and pink paint. This marked an increased amount of vandalism in the area.
Vandalism and Arson at St. Nicholas Church
April 29, 2022, United KingdomThe St. Nicholas Church in Swallow was targeted by vandalism on April 29th. Unknown perpetrators, possibly youth, took two picnic benches from the church to a park, set fire to one, and painted the other with obscene language and initials. The church was quite disappointed by the act especially since it took time to repair the damage.
Theft from Statues in Ischitella Church
April 29, 2022, ItalyThieves stole jeweled necklaces from four statues in the church of Sant ' Eustachio Martire in Ischitella, on of them being the statue of Madonna del Carmine. Although the value of the jewels was not particularly high, the sacrilege, shocked the entire religious community.
Arson attack at Dinslaken Church
April 29, 2022, GermanyUnknown arsonists set the Heilig-Geist-Church in Dinslaken Hiesfeld on fire on April 29th. The property damage was not too extensive but the shock of such a hateful attack was great.
Statue of Virgin Stolen from Pau Church
April 29, 2022, FranceA statue of the Virgin Mary was stolen from the Saint-Martin church in Pau on April 29th. People saw the man walking through the streets with the 1.5-meter statue and quickly alerted the police who then arrested him. Father Jean-Jacques Dufau said: “She was perched on one foot, on the right side of the church as you entered. I don't know how [the thief] did it."
Tags and Graffiti on Church in Piozzo
April 28, 2022, ItalyOn the night of April 28th, a sentence was written in red paint on the Parish Church of Santo Stefano in Piozzo. It read: "The Nazis create poverty to take away freedom." The perpetrator(s) remain(s) unknown.
Glindenberg Church Devastated by Vandals
April 28, 2022, GermanyThe St. Nikolai Church of Glindenberg was devastated on April 28th and had to be closed as a result. The inside of the church was devastated: the altar cross was torn off as well hymn books were left in the streets with their pages torn out. The police were looking for the perpetrators.
Satanic Graffiti and Desecration in Graz Church
April 28, 2022, AustriaSatanic graffiti appeared in the St. Vincent church in Graz on the 28th of April. The word Satan, upside-down crosses, and the Antichrist number 666 were painted with red spray paint on the walls and altar of the church. The vandals also sprayed an angel's face red and burnt a bible. The Priest, Wolfgang Pucher commented, "It's just unbelievable."
Jesus and Saint Statues Broken and Chapel Vandalized
April 28, 2022, PolandA chapel near the village of Pokrzywna was the victim of a vandalistic attack that left a statue of Christ ruined. In the past years, this statue has been targeted, but on the 28th of April, both its legs were broken off just below the knee. A statue of Mother Biska was also torn out and thrown into a stream and a small piggy bank was stolen. The crime was reported to the police but due to the absence of security cameras, the perpetrators may be difficult to identify.