Bishop Guillory reacts to vandalism at Orange Catholic church

“The recent vandalism at one of our Catholic churches saddens me greatly, and our prayers are for the person who did this,” said Bishop Curtis Guillory, SVD.

St. Mary Church in Orange was vandalized on May 31, 2018.  Someone spray painted graffiti that included a swastika on the outside wall of the church. It was reported to the Orange police department.

“Our Catholic Church is here to bring people closer to God and to strengthen a loving relationship with each other – to help us see that we are all children of one Father. It saddens me that the person who committed the vandalism may not recognize that mission,” said Bishop Guillory in reacting to the vandalism.

“It is my hope and prayer that the person who did this is today regretting his or her actions. We need to remember that these kinds of hateful actions are always the product of a small number of individuals and do not reflect the goodness of the greater number of Orange residents or the citizens of our country,” he said.

“The scripture that I live by is from Romans chapter 8, All things work together for the good for those who love God. In reflecting on that I realize that although we may abhor this act of vandalism, it gives us an opportunity to speak of the loving mercy and forgiveness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” Bishop Guillory said.