Unknown perpetrators vandalized the grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima. The statues of the Virgin and the little shepherds were destroyed beyond repair.
Newsroom (30/01/2022 11:10 AM, Gaudium Press) Another parish in the United States has been the victim of desecration. This time, statues were destroyed at the Church of the Nativity in Burke, Virginia, through an act of vandalism perpetrated by unknown attackers.
On January 25, the grotto of Our Lady of Fatima was broken into. The aggressors destroyed the images in the grotto representing the Marian apparition to the three shepherds of Fatima.
Fr. Bob Cilinski, the pastor, wrote a letter the next day informing that “unfortunately, the damaged images cannot be restored. We have removed the images and will replace them.”
Father Cilinki urged the faithful to be peaceful and respect one another. He also asked parishioners to pray for the criminals who defiled “a place of prayer, peace and healing,” as he described the grotto.
Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington Diocese expressed his solidarity with the pastor and asked the faithful to pray for the aggressors:
“I ask that others join me in prayer for the perpetrator, because whatever motive is behind this act shows a tormented soul in need of Our Lord,” noted Bishop Burbidge.
Jeffrey McKay, president of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, condemned the act and the attack on the Catholic community in the area. Police and the parish are working together to identify the perpetrators. (FM)
With information from ACI.
Compiled by Gustavo Kralj
