Catholic parishes in Reston and in the Maryland suburbs are among churches nationwide that are grappling with a wave of attacks involving arson and vandalism in the weeks after the Supreme Court’s ruling June 24 overturning Roe v. Wade.
In the latest incident, firefighters responded around 2 a.m. July 10 to multiple fires set inside St. Jane Frances de Chantal Church in Bethesda, Md., which also was vandalized. “Statues were thrown down, books shredded, the Stations of the Cross pulled off the walls, the tabernacle desecrated. It is a horrific event for us as a church,” Father Samuel Giese, pastor, said at the noon Mass, in the school gymnasium.
A notice on the website said Masses were being moved until further notice. Firefighters found a “significant active fire” inside St. Jane, according to the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service, which said investigators determined the cause was arson. Twenty-four hours earlier, firefighters responded to multiple fires set outside North Bethesda United Methodist Church a few blocks away. Damaged headstones and broken wood pieces also were found scattered near Wildwood Baptist Church, a few blocks from the Methodist church.
St. Jane is in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. “We are of course shocked and saddened by this, but ours is a deeply committed and resilient community of faith,” a spokesperson for the archdiocese said in a statement July 11. “When we are tested by fire — literally, in this case — our resolve and our bond are only strengthened. The parish community and all of us continue to pray, especially for those who felt compelled to act out in a way that so disrespects our faith and our family.”
The Arlington diocese also has been hit by vandalism. At St. John Neumann church in Reston, two days after the ruling a smoldering mulch fire was found outside the church, along with several spray-painted graffiti messages on the building and on the brick sign in front of the church.
“I was deeply saddened and concerned when I learned of the shocking vandalism and arson that occurred on your parish campus last weekend,” Bishop Michael F. Burbidge said in a statement read at Masses over the July 4 weekend. “We know from the painted messages that the vandalism was a direct result of our unwavering support for unborn children and their mothers.” He said that since May 2020, more than 145 similar acts have occurred to Catholic parishes, schools and ministries throughout the country. “We pray for the repentance and conversion of those who committed these and similar offenses,” he said. “We believe in the sanctity of every human life. This is fundamental to who we are as Catholics and what we believe.”
Oblate Father Joseph T. Brennan, pastor of St. John Neumann, called the vandalism “alarming and disturbing to all of us. For any faith community or place of worship to be targeted by groups that demonstrate violence and vulgarity is wrong. Thankfully, no one was hurt. I ask that all of us take the high road of respectfulness, responding better than the way the perpetrators did to us. Let us pray for the dignity of all life, and let us also pray for civility among all citizens, especially when there is strong disagreement.”
Parishioner Ed Grace echoed that comment, saying he was “very saddened to hear that our parish was the target of vandalism. We will continue to pray that the animosity in our country will ultimately be resolved.”
Father Brennan said the parish received a letter from the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation in Reston after the vandalism, adding that other faith communities also had reached out to express support.
“There is no place in our community — or our country — for acts of hate against religious groups and institutions, regardless of political position,” said the letter from the synagogue, signed by two rabbis and other congregation officials. “We may disagree on issues; nevertheless, we stand with our neighbors and friends of St. John Neumann Catholic Church, who have had their sacred space violated, and condemn those who committed this act of sinat hinam, senseless hatred.”
At St. Jane in Bethesda, Father Giese reminded the parish after the vandalism that “what is important to remember, especially now, is that we are the church. We are the living stones. We are the body of Christ. And as long as our faith is strong and we are faithful, then we are fine, we are absolutely fine.
“No vandalism, no fire, no mess in the church can separate us from the love of Jesus Christ. And I want you to keep that in your hearts today. We are strong because God is with us. We pray for those who persecute us. That’s the measure of our Christian faith.”
Catholic News Service contributed to this report.
