All cases
Vandalism of Church and Walls in Orvieto Medieval Quarter
May 12, 2019, ItalyFor what was is described as the "umpteenth" time, the walls of the medieval Rupe quarter and the facade of its church, San Giovenale, were vandalized with graffiti which included "blasphemous phrases." Police began an investigation and specialized cleaning teams will be hired to remove the paint.
Vandalism in Villeurbanne Church
May 12, 2019, FranceDuring the night of May 12th, intruders entered the church of Sainte-Famille in Villeurbanne (Rhône) and damaged the holy water stoup, candles, and left trash. The city's urban safety brigade is investigating.
Christian Statues Stolen from Cemetery
May 10, 2019, FranceThree metal, meter-high, statues of Christian figures were stolen off their granite pedestals in a family plot in the cemetery of Argenton-les-Vallées (Deux-Sèvres). Police are investigating.
UPDATE: Suspect Arrested for Arson in Equihen-Plage Church Sacristy
May 9, 2019, FranceAs a result of a forensic investigation into the origin of a fire that broke out around 6 am on May 5th in the sacristy of the church of Equihen-Plage, a man was arrested on May 9th. The 34-year-old confessed to having set the fire as well as having robbed churches in La Capelle-lès-Boulogne, Wimille, and attempting to rob a church in Boulogne. He said he also had tried to set those churches on fire, but without success. The damage to the Equihen-Plage was extensive, estimated at around 340,000 euros.
Sussex Church Suffers Repeated Vandalism
May 9, 2019, United KingdomIn the latest in a series of vandalism incidents at the St John the Evangelist church in Copthorne, the Victorian gate memorial to World War I veterans in the churchyard was kicked in and broken. The Churchwarden reported that this was the latest in a string of incidents at the village church. Police are investigating.
Break-in and Attempted Burglary in Two Hesse Churches
May 8, 2019, GermanyDuring the afternoon of May 7th, the priest of a Hofheim church caught a man trying to break into the donation box with a tool. The man fled the scene on bicycle. Later, during the night between May 7th and 8th, intruders entered a church in Raunheim (about 65 km away from Hofheim) through a broken basement window. Although it appeared that nothing was stolen, they damaged the locked entrance door as they left.
Christ Figure Broken in Half and Left on Church Altar
May 8, 2019, FranceOn May 8th, parishioners at the church of Saint-Martin d'Asson (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) discovered that a crucifix had been dismantled, and the Christ figure it supported broken in two pieces and left on both sides of the altar. A complaint was filed and police began an investigation.
Vandalism in Village Church Twice in 10 Days
May 6, 2019, FranceThe church of Saint-Genest was vandalized on the afternoon of May 6th, with the Easter candle and other candles dedicated to the Virgin Mary burnt, the organ's power supply damaged, and trash was found. According to reports, this is the second instance of vandalism that the village church in ten days. Police began an investigation.
Winnweiler Church Damaged by Vandals
May 6, 2019, GermanyDuring the period from May 4th to 6th, unknown perpetrators broke the lock at the Herz-Jesu-Kirche in Winnweiler (Rhineland-Palatinate), lit a small campfire on the sandy ground outside the church, and defaced a wall with graffiti. A lightning rod was torn from the wall and the outer facade of the church was damaged. The police in Rockenhausen are investigating.
Thüringen Church Vandalized
May 6, 2019, GermanyUnknown perpetrators smeared "several numbers, characters and figures in different colors" on the outer wall of the Evangelical Lutheran City Church in Rudolstadt. Police began an investigation.
Rampage in Umbria Church
May 5, 2019, ItalyDuring the night between May 4th and 5th, vandals ransacked the church of San Girolamo in Narni. On Sunday morning the 5th, the priest discovered that statues, benches, and kneelers had been overturned and damaged. Wires were torn from the sound system, furnishings in the sacristy and other rooms were destroyed, and sacred books had been thrown to the ground. As a result of the extensive damage, Mass had to be cancelled. A complaint was filed with the police.
Graffiti on Toulouse Church
May 5, 2019, FranceGraffiti with the phrase "Allah u Akbar" and a heart was found written on the door of the Notre-Dame-du-Taur church in Toulouse during the evening of May 5th.
Hoxel Chapel Window Damaged
May 5, 2019, GermanyDuring the night from May 4th to 5th, unidentified vandals smashed a stained glass window in the chapel in Morbach-Hoxel with a paving stone. Property damage is estimated to be around 2000 euros.
Cross Broken and Trampled at Kwidzyn Cathedral
May 3, 2019, PolandOn May 3rd, a priest discovered a destroyed and trampled cross in the porch of the entrance to the church of Saint John the Evangelist in Kwidzyn, as well as a strong smelling liquid poured into the holy water font. Because the incident occurred on the Catholic feast of the Queen of Poland and Poland's Constitution Day holiday, there were many visitors and tourists around the cathedral, making it difficult to identify the perpetrators, according to the priest. The area was not covered by the security cameras in the church.
Donation Box Torn from Wall of Church found at Bus Stop
May 2, 2019, GermanyPolice investigated the theft of an offertory box from a church in Wiehe (Thüringen). On May 2nd, church staff discovered that the donation box had been forcibly torn from the wall. It was later found at a bus stop. A small amount of cash was stolen, but the incident caused property damage of about 100 euros.
Two Vandalism Incidents in Two Days on Catholic Churches in Scotland
April 29, 2019, United KingdomOn Saturday, April 27, anti-Catholic graffiti (“F*** the Pope”) was found spray-painted on a bus shelter outside Holy Family Catholic Church in Mossend. On Monday, April 29, vandals entered St. Simon Catholic Church in Glasgow, the main place of worship for the city's Polish community, and attacked the sanctuary, breaking a statue, overturning candles and a shrine to Our Lady of Częstochowa.
Two Vandalism Incidents in Two Days on Catholic Churches in Scotland
April 29, 2019, United KingdomOn Saturday, April 27, anti-Catholic graffiti (“F*** the Pope”) was found spray-painted on a bus shelter outside Holy Family Catholic Church in Mossend. On Monday, April 29, vandals entered St. Simon Catholic Church in Glasgow, the main place of worship for the city's Polish community, and attacked the sanctuary, breaking a statue, overturning candles and a shrine to Our Lady of Częstochowa.
Heavy Damage after Church Break-In
April 29, 2019, GermanyUnknown thieves broke into a church on the Luisenring in Mannheim on April 29th. According to police, the perpetrators gained access to the church through a back window during the night of April 29th. They searched the chapel and the sacristy. Doors and containers were broken into with massive force, resulting in property damage of around 10,000 euros throughout the building. Police began an investigation.
Windows Damaged and Donations Stolen from Lower Saxony Chruch
April 24, 2019, GermanySometime between April 21st and 24th, unidentified perpetrator(s) broke at least nine windows of a Wilhelmshaven and stole the donation proceeds from the inside the church. Police investigated and looked for witnesses.
Statue of Sainte-Barbe Smashed
April 17, 2019, FranceA statue of the patron saint of miners and firefighters was removed from its glass case in a square in front of a church in the small town of Belle-Roche (Cocheren) and smashed to the ground by unknown vandals.