Catholic parishioners in New York City are heartbroken after an unknown vandal recently decapitated a statue of Jesus in a fit of rage.
The incident happened on Sunday at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in Fresh Meadows, Queens. The New York Police Department (NYPD) told Fox News Digital that the incident happened just before 5:30 a.m.
“[A]”An unknown individual(s) intentionally damaged the statue by striking it multiple times with a shoe outside the church located at 175-20 74th Street,” a police spokesman said. “There have been no reports of injuries as a result of this incident.”
The vandalized statue depicted the baby Jesus surrounded by Mary and Joseph, and blurry footage shows the suspect repeatedly hitting the statue’s head with a shoe before walking away.
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Recently, an unknown assailant was seen on video vandalising a statue of Jesus in a fit of rage. (Brooklyn Parish)
According to FOX 5 New York, the Brooklyn Diocese estimates it will cost $20,000 to repair the damage done to the statue. Holy Family Roman Catholic Church said in a Facebook post that the statue had stood outside the church’s doors for more than 42 years.
“Parishioners are heartbroken and shocked by this,” the post said.
The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Unit is currently investigating the incident as a possible hate crime, but no suspects have been arrested. In a statement obtained by FOX 5, the church’s pastor, Father Sean Sackiel, called the incident “disturbing.”
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The New York City Police Department is investigating the incident as a possible hate crime. (Brooklyn Parish)
“The Holy Family is the foundation of our faith community and this statue has special meaning to many in our parish,” the priest said. “This is a deeply disturbing incident and those who attended Mass yesterday were shocked and horrified to learn this happened.”
“We must pray for increased religious tolerance throughout the city.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Holy Family Roman Catholic Church and the Diocese of Brooklyn for comment but did not receive a response.
The destroyed statue depicted the baby Jesus surrounded by Mary and Joseph. (Brooklyn Parish)
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New York authorities are actively investigating the incident and additional details are unavailable at this time.
