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UPDATED: Century-old statue of St. Anne destroyed
A Catholic church frequented by many in Marquette University’s community was vandalized Wednesday, leaving statues broken, candles strewn across the floor, and tables overturned.
Parishioners at the Church of the Gesu “were interrupted by a crashing sound” in the morning, Marquette Wire reported. Both the church and Marquette are run by the Jesuit religious order.
A bystander tried to intervene as a custodian alerted Marquette University Police, who arrested the suspect at the scene around 8 a.m., according to the school newspaper.
“Marquette University was saddened to learn that early this morning, an individual not affiliated with the university vandalized and damaged property inside the Church of the Gesu, a sacred space for many in the Marquette community,” university spokesperson Kevin Conway said.
He also stated that the investigation is ongoing and the school “will support the parish as we always have, bonded by our Catholic, Jesuit tradition and a shared desire to serve God in all things.”
Fr. Michael Simone said his parishioners were distraught over the destruction of several items.
“If I ever have the opportunity to talk to [the suspect] I’d say ‘Get yourself sorted out and come back and join the parish,’” he said.
“He needs our prayers,” he said. “He needs our help.”
“To Simone’s understanding, the individual was experiencing a mental health crisis and wasn’t violent towards parishioners,” the Marquette Wire reported. “He believes this was not an anti-Catholic attack.”
The newspaper reported a “century-old” statue of St. Anne will be restored, while many of the damaged items from the 1960s and 1970s will be properly disposed of.
Fr. Simone said any additional repairs will depend on receiving an insurance payout, according to Marquette Wire.
In an email sent to parishioners, Fr. Simone wrote that the vandal “caused no damage to the altar or sanctuary in the upper or lower church,” according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“As a result, we do not need to re-consecrate the church, although we will bless the affected areas once the cleanup is complete,” he wrote.
The church had just undergone a $10 million renovation a few months prior, including security cameras and a security desk that allowed it to keep its doors unlocked, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
Editor’s note: The headline has been updated, and several quotes have been added.
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