All cases
Vandals wreak havoc in Montecilfone church
August 17, 2024, ItalyOn the night from August 16 to 17, unknown persons destroyed a statue of Mary and other sacred objects in a chapel of a retirement home in Montecilfone.
Priest stabbed on the street in Ireland
August 16, 2024, IrelandOn August 16, in the morning an attacker brutally stabbed Fr. Paul Murphy from Waterford on his way to the Defence Force barracks in Galway, where he works as an army chaplain. Soldiers from the barracks had to open fire on the attacker. The priest is now in a serious condition.
Chalices stolen from two churches
August 16, 2024, FranceTwo churches in the Lot département suffered thefts of sacred objects on August 16 and 17, in Saint-Jean de Laure and Concots. These are the 4th and 5th thefts since the start of the year 2023 - and the 15th and 16th since the series of thefts began previous year.
Stone cross destroyed by vandals on Christian Feast Day
August 15, 2024, FranceOn the night of 15 August (the Catholic Feast Day of the Assumption Mary), vandals destroyed an important stone cross in Tréport, France. The stone cross is more than 400 years old and was declared a historical monument in 1913.
Vandalism at Kassel Church causes extensive damage
August 15, 2024, GermanyA safety-glass extension that served as a side entrance to the church was destroyed. Police are searching for the unknown perpetrators. Between the evening of 15 August and the morning of 16 August 2024, unknown perpetrators caused an estimated €8,000 in damage to St Martin’s Church in Kassel. The vandals deliberately shattered a 2 x 3 metre safety-glass panel at a side entrance to the church, likely using a pointed object.
Two churches closed due to increased vandalism
August 14, 2024, GermanyDue to repeated acts of vandalism, two churches in Bodenfelde and Uslar have had to close their doors outside of worship hours. The churches have been the target of various attacks, including broken windows, arson and an altar being defaced with swastika graffiti.
Repeated Vandalism at Bertesina Church
August 12, 2024, ItalyIn August 2024, unknown vandals damaged the Church of Bertesina (Vicenza) by smashing several high-set stained glass windows, likely by throwing stones. The attack was reported in the parish bulletin and occurred shortly after the church had completed the restoration of statues above the main entrance—an effort that had cost €3,500.
Terrorist attack had Church as Primary Target
August 12, 2024, TurkeyIn early 2025, an 18-year-old man was arrested in Eskişehir, Turkey, after carrying out a stabbing attack that injured five people in a local café. According to Turkish media outlet T24, the suspect had initially planned a terrorist attack on a nearby church but changed his target at the last minute, opting instead to attack civilians in a coffeehouse.
Parishioners Shocked after Vandals Smash Statue
August 7, 2024, United KingdomA statue of Mary outside St Joseph Church in Wembley in the Diocese of Westminster, was smashed into pieces in the night of August 7, leaving behind the empty plinth. The parishioners are shocked. Police presence around the church will be reinforced.
Young man records anti-Christian video inside church
August 6, 2024, ItalyA young Muslim man posted a video in Arabic on TikTok that he had recorded in a church in Milan. In the video, he asked an elderly woman if she was a Christian, then wished her death and cursed another woman in the same church.