In the early hours of Saturday and Monday, security footage shows a gunman on a motorcycle fired bullets from a 9mm gun at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Parish in Denver, causing about $75,000 in damage.
"We immediately contacted the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office on both occasions," reports Deacon Derrick Johnson, a spokesman for the church. "They came out, took pictures, took a report, and as far as we know, the investigation is still active. But we do not know anything at this point on either of the incidents."
Though the motive is unknown, the incident comes at a time when American churches and pro-life organizations have experienced a growing wave of arson, vandalism, threats, and harassment since May, when a leaked U.S. Supreme Court opinion showed the justices were likely to overturn Roe v. Wade. LifeNews has documented more than 100 incidents since the leak.
The churches that have been vandalized do support life for the preborn, but as far as Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is concerned, Johnson says another aspect of the case important.
"The person that did this has a soul, and we absolutely care about that soul and want them to come to know the person of Christ," Johnson tells AFN. "We will continue as a community to pray for them, to continue to pray for their conversion and for whatever is going on in their life, whatever hurt is in their heart. We definitely want the love of Christ and the grace of Christ to flow into that."
The church has a school on the property, and even though school had not yet convened for the school year at the time of the attack, security precautions have been taken.
