Historic Catholic church in California vandalized; 231-year-old artifacts damaged

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Hokomai said:
In general yes, if the church wishes to keep it secure, and it cannot be secured in place.
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And what is the significance of say, the Church of St. Alphonsus’s baptismal font, engraved with the life of Alphonsus Maria de Liguori and his works, baptising generations and generations of Catholics from the local community, when it is sitting in the nave of the Church of St. Paul in a different part of the country?

You clearly do not understand the value of such objects. Value cannot always be quantified in monetary terms. Artifacts do not gain value just for existing. In such cases, they are immeasurably valuable due to how instrumental a role they have played in the community over the ages, and how deeply intertwined they are with the cultural life of that parish. Moving them away doesn’t solve anything. It just creates more problems when the parish loses such treasures.
 
Filii_Dei said:
And what is the significance of say, the Church of St. Alphonsus’s baptismal font, engraved with the life of Alphonsus Maria de Liguori and his works, baptising generations and generations of Catholics from the local community, when it is sitting in the nave of the Church of St. Paul in a different part of the country?

You clearly do not understand the value of such objects. Value cannot always be quantified in monetary terms. Artifacts do not gain value just for existing. In such cases, they are immeasurably valuable due to how instrumental a role they have played in the community over the ages, and how deeply intertwined they are with the cultural life of that parish. Moving them away doesn’t solve anything. It just creates more problems when the parish loses such treasures.
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What is needed is understanding of how to manage security risks. When security risks associated with ancient baptisimal fonts are realised, you no longer have the font. If Churches don’t have enough people in them to manage risk, and the church cannot afford protection, its possession are unprotected. In time, where there are security risks, they will all disappear without protection.
 
Hokomai said:
What is needed is understanding of how to manage security risks. When security risks associated with ancient baptisimal fonts are realised, you no longer have the font. If Churches don’t have enough people in them to manage risk, and the church cannot afford protection, its possession are unprotected. In time, where there are security risks, they will all disappear without protection.
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So risks are managed by spending even more money? Do you actually think chuches should provide security with guards patrolling the premises? Have you actually been to a church? It is a place of worship, not a garrison. In addition, no church can afford the additional manpower for security. Even cathedrals have enough financial difficulties without you telling them to spend more money on such things.

I still cannot believe that you think that churches with valuable possessions deserve to lose said valuable items simply because they do not have the means to protect it from every possible threat. What should they use instead? Baptism with plastic tubs and inflatable pools? 🤷
 
Filii_Dei said:
I still cannot believe that you think that churches with valuable possessions deserve to lose said valuable items simply because they do not have the means to protect it from every possible threat. What should they use instead? Baptism with plastic tubs and inflatable pools? 🤷
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I find it hard to believe that I think this also.
 
Havard said:
The article says that incident took place in Portland, Oregon, so it’s very doubtful. I live about an hour north of Santa Cruz, and Portland is easily 10 hours north of me.
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There was a Protestant church vandalized in Salinas about two years ago. A window was broken and some food items stolen. I think the news said it was local teens.
 
IMHO, I believe so. Or call it the last acceptable prejudce…Anti-Catholicism (Christianity).
 
BobCatholic said:
Is this part of the Christian kristallnacht?
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Probably not, considering it happened in six months ago. Similar events haven’t occurred on the scale of Kristallnacht or with the same organized activity.

BTW, does anyone know if the culprit was ever caught?
 
I don’t know, but I’m going to write to the author of the Santa Cruz Patch article and inquire.
 
Unfortunately (according to the article’s author), no-one has been caught yet. 😦
 
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