Two churches vandalized in Vancouver Archdiocese

Two church properties in the Archdiocese of Vancouver were vandalized shortly after the discovery of 215 unmarked graves at the Kamloops Indian Residential School.

At St. Augustine’s Church in Vancouver on June 12, vandals wrote “release the records” and “killers” on the front entrance of the church.

“It’s so sad. It is really sad. We had nothing to do with what happened with those poor kids,” parishioner Maria Bastone told Global News. “These are true followers of Christ. Please don’t blame the people of today for what happened before.”

St. Joseph’s Church in Port Moody was also found vandalized the morning of June 13. A pro-life memorial gravestone was knocked to the ground, while the stone on which it was standing has been broken.

Father Mark McGuckin, pastor of St. Joseph’s, told Catholic News Agency around the same time the memorial was knocked over, new building developments next to the parish had been burning down in what likely was an incident of arson. He considered his church community “very fortunate and blessed” because of the damp weather conditions.

“The fire was so hot that flying embers landed on our church roof,” and “had it been three weeks of real dry season that could have really caught on fire.”

Father McGuckin doubts there is a connection between the vandalism at St. Augustine’s and the vandalism at his church. “We would have had clearer messaging around the residential school if that was someone who wanted to express themselves that way,” he said.

Father McGuckin said there had been peaceful protests at Catholic churches in the area over the weekend.

On the weekend of May 22, the remains of 215 people were found in unmarked graves at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. The discovery was made with ground-penetrating radar. The causes of death are unclear.

St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Kamloops was vandalized following the discovery. Graffiti reading “banished,” “evicted,” and “crime scene” was found spray painted on the walls of St. Joseph’s May 31. An “X” was on the front doors.

The chief of the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc, Rosanne Casimir, condemned the vandalism.

“We are deeply disturbed to learn that the St. Joseph’s Church was vandalized. The church was built from the ground up by Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc members. We understand the many emotions connected to a Roman Catholic run residential school. At the same time, we respect the choices that Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc ancestors made, over a 100 years ago, to erect this church.”

Catholic News Agency with B.C. Catholic files.