Vandals Arrested for Disrupting Mass, Overturning Altar

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here is a nice story from where I live, in alabama. Please pray for Catholics here in the bible belt.

Desecration and destruction inside the Lord’s House.

A group of people came into the Annunciation of the Lord Catholic Church in Decatur and destroyed a priceless piece of the church’s history.

Four people have been charged with criminal mischief after police say they reaked havoc inside the church. They are Emily Beth Loughman, Lisa Marie Wagner, Eugene Loughman, and Adam Joseph Turgeon.

The desecration and destruction inside the Catholic Church has many wondering why.

“It’s very distressing that in a middle of worship service when people are gathered that somebody would come in and reak havoc,” says parishioner Barbara Romei.

Sunday morning, parishioners gathered for worship at Annunciation of the Lord Catholic Church.

But their time of prayer, interrupted. A gang terrorizing the church family. Witnesses say as mass was wrapping up, the vandals walked to the front of the church. Moments later, total chaos.

One member of the group started shouting to the congregation claiming Catholics were idol worshippers.

They then rushed towards the altar and knocked down. A 500-pound marble structure, shattered piece by piece.

Church members wrestled the vandals to the ground.

“You have this feeling of lack of safety when someone breaks into your home. It’s the same feeling with the church.,” says parishioner Laurie Fraser.

Decatur Police arrested five people believed to be behind the cruel act. One of them was released after questioning.

Despite what happened, these parishioners hold no harsh feelings.

Instead they’re turning to prayer. “We need to pray for the people who did it and hope they find the peace we find by coming to church,” says Fraser.

The four suspects are in the Morgan County Jail. Each one of them charged with criminal mischief.
 
and i was feeling so good, with auburn and
alabama both winning saturday…

now this… i truly hope they find what they
are searching for…

😦
 
Wow… makes me wonder why? Such an act would take a lot of “courage” for teens - and think they wouldn’t get caught? I’m sure the Lord is happy with them destroying a place of worship. Would this be considered a hate-crime? Just thinking if it was Muslim or Jewish, it would be all over the news.
 
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ProudArmyWife:
Wow… makes me wonder why? Such an act would take a lot of “courage” for teens - and think they wouldn’t get caught? I’m sure the Lord is happy with them destroying a place of worship. Would this be considered a hate-crime? Just thinking if it was Muslim or Jewish, it would be all over the news.
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If I were the priest at that parish I would want the head of these teens’ “pastor” on a platter! Who else put them up to such a brazen act of hatred and destruction? It wasn’t the tooth fairy!

These kids think they did a noble act by destroying the Catholics’ “idols”, but they and their pastor forgot that the “idols” weren’t theirs to destroy, and that in this country we still have freedom of religious expression.

And you are soooooooooooo right that if this had happened in a mosque, synagogue, or Hindu temple the MSM would be all over it, but since it “only” happened in a Catholic church no one gives a flying you know what! :mad:
 
Oops - hope everyone understood I was being sarcastic about being happy about deystroying His home… I forgot that you can’t hear me talking while I type!
 
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ProudArmyWife:
Oops - hope everyone understood I was being sarcastic about being happy about deystroying His home… I forgot that you can’t hear me talking while I type!
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Oh yes, I think you came through loud and clear, and I agree with every word you wrote! 👍
 
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ProudArmyWife:
Wow… makes me wonder why? Such an act would take a lot of “courage” for teens
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Actually, they are not teens: Val Eugene Loughman is 20 and married to Emily Beth Loughman who is 21. And the other two people (who also live with the Loughmans) are even older: Adam Joseph Turgeon is 27; and Lisa Marie Wagner is 26.
decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/051003/assault.shtml
(This is a lengthy account of the crime if you want to read more)
Would this be considered a hate-crime? Just thinking if it was Muslim or Jewish, it would be all over the news.
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It is a hate crime, but I think anti-Catholic hatred is much less than in previous eras. We aren’t normally targetted for violence simply because we are Catholic.

This crime seems to be the actions of a small group of loons. (which I mean in the most charitable sense of the word 😛 )

Surely, those four need help and I will be praying the get it what they need.
 
Guar Fan:
Actually, they are not teens: Val Eugene Loughman is 20 and married to Emily Beth Loughman who is 21. And the other two people (who also live with the Loughmans) are even older: Adam Joseph Turgeon is 27; and Lisa Marie Wagner is 26.
decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/051003/assault.shtml
(This is a lengthy account of the crime if you want to read more)

It is a hate crime, but I think anti-Catholic hatred is much less than in previous eras. We aren’t normally targetted for violence simply because we are Catholic.

This crime seems to be the actions of a small group of loons. (which I mean in the most charitable sense of the word 😛 )

Surely, those four need help and I will be praying they get what they need.
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It’s nice to see that some stand up people acted and made sure they all got hooked up.

-D
 
Kudos to Rev. Culotta! He showed the congregation and the Churcha a great example of charity, calmness, and forgiveness! 👍
 
Could the columnist tried any harder to avoid Catholic terminology? The “gathering place” and “the covered gathering place out front of the sanctuary” [Narthex] and “congregation” [parish] and “member” [parishioner]… It isn’t until the very last section that the words parishioners (in a direct quote) and Mass show up. It is absolutely terrifying that this is happening. I have to give props to the concluding quote, though:

Member Annette Lincoln said when she heard about what had happened, she was glad she went to the 8 a.m. Mass.

“At first, I was scared and I was like ‘How could these people do this, and is it going to happen somewhere else?’ Then I got mad and wished I had been there. I could have thrown my purse.”
 
Could the columnist tried any harder to avoid Catholic terminology?
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Well this happened in Alabama, which is in the Baptist Bible belt, so its understandable that the author would be challenged in Catholic terminology. Much as liberal journalists are in “more Catholic” parts of the country.

But what happened is despicable, and certainly does nothing to further the assailants cause, if anything it will bring sympathy to the parish from the Protestant community there.
 
Matt25 -

Sorry, I haven’t heard about those stories. We’re military overseas and only get the AFN network. Thanks for keeping me up to date!
 
I think more need to be known about the assailants. We can only speculate about their reasons until we know that.

Two things though:

  1. *]Will they be charged with a hate-crime. If this was premeditation, they should be.
    *]Will the ACLU defend them

    PF
 
It sounds like its clearly a hate-crime. I would think if they are not charged with that, the priest could only take a lesser charge for mercy.
 
“Witnesses said a man and woman came forward, screaming, after the 11 a.m. Mass conducted by Rev. Joe Culotta. The man then turned over the church’s cherished century-old marble altar, sending it tumbling down the steps.”

I"t smashed onto the floor and ripped up carpet in front of the first-row pews."

“Men from the congregation subdued five people and held them for Decatur police. Walker said no one was injured.”

ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/local/12810756.htm
 
Code:
Code:
Many people are taught anti-catholic error and prejudice.
Thankfully most don’t act out violently against it.

The feelings these people have are real and more common than you might think. Just do some defending of the Church and you will feel the venom.
 
How terrible I hope they get whats coming to them for such Blasphemey! :mad:
 
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