By Alexandra Moyen
FLATBUSH — A brick-wielding assailant was caught on camera walking onto the grounds of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church and destroying two of the parish’s nearly century-old statues — the Blessed Mother in the Mary Garden and their patron saint, St. Therese.
Surveillance footage shows the vandal approaching the Mary Garden near the front of the church late in the evening of Oct. 21 and smashing off the hand of the statue of the Blessed Mother. Then, the man proceeds to kiss the statue, climb down, and walk toward the back of the church before breaking off the cross on the St. Therese statue.
In response to the incident, Father Liju Augustine, the church’s pastor, usually keeps the gates surrounding the church open, allowing people to pray before the statues 24/7.
“We are trying our best to bring the faithful back together. It’s one of the reasons why we painted the [Blessed Mother] statue, put in new lights, installed benches for them to come and sit comfortably,” Father Augustine told The Tablet. “But sometimes, when things like this happen, it saddens us. So, I am waiting to see how I can help my people overcome.
“My people are strong in faith, so I know they will be with me to rebuild.”
Father Augustine said he was first alerted of the vandalism by one of his custodians Tuesday at around 6:45 a.m. and said he immediately contacted the Diocese of Brooklyn.
Later in the morning, they celebrated Mass as scheduled and asked for intercession from their patron saint and the Blessed Mother to help them remain strong.
Father Augustine said he realized he wasn’t upset after his initial panic settled.
“I was never angry, just very saddened,” he recalled. “I really feel sorry for that person, and my church is so open-hearted and willing to forgive.
“But still, I ask, ‘Why?’ ”
As of Oct. 28, no arrests have been made and an investigation is ongoing, according to a DCPI representative. The incident is the fifth known vandalism case within the diocese since February. According to Catholic Vote, a Catholic grassroots lobbying organization, there have been 461 attacks on Catholic churches throughout the United States since May 2020.
Last month, a man attacked a statue of Mary at the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Jamaica, severing its hands and damaging the face. The incident is still being investigated as a criminal mischief case, and no arrests have been made.
Father Augustine said he is unsure of the extent of the repairs needed or the costs and is waiting for further instructions from the diocese on moving forward.
He also recalled his own experience trying to protect the church almost three months ago. Father Augustine said he usually walks around the church before bed as a part of his nightly routine. One night, he witnessed two men loitering on the property and behaving inappropriately in front of the Blessed Mother statue.
“I had a friendly talk with them, and they got so mad, [they] tried to slap me,” he said.
The NYPD’s 67th Precinct urged anyone with information on the incident to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).