Sightings of the Enemy

Pray for the perpetrators, and pray for us all. Every so often, the enemy raises his ugly head a little:

At the urging of their pastor, members of St. Matthew Catholic Church stopped at a rose garden on church grounds Sunday to pray for whoever knocked off the head and praying hands of a concrete Virgin Mary statue and to teach their children that even a peaceful garden in full bloom is not protected from violence.

The desecration took place between Friday midnight and 5 a.m. Saturday, when it was first discovered, McSweeney said.

The head and hands had been cleanly knocked off, with little damage to the rest of the 3-foot statue. The pastor said the vandalism didn't look random or accidental, "but it seems to me purposely done."

He said the church, for now, will keep the damaged statue in the same spot to stir members to continue their reflections.

Mark Shea comments:

There's something so utterly puerile and small about desecrating a statue of the Virgin. And the person who does it invariably regards himself as a hero, "striking back". Satan loves to Miltonic poses of heroism as he does these little deeds of teenage vandalism. His favorite targets are the weak--hence his love of abortion.

And in his combox:

There was a statue of Christ in Rehoboth Beach, DE that was similarly decapitated a few years back.