Shrine at Lady of Guadalupe Church Vandalized Just Days Before Celebration
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – An unfortunate scene today at Lady of Guadalupe Church. Overnight vandalism caused significant damage to portions of the church, including a shrine of the Virgin Mary.
Police were called to the scene around 1:30am Tuesday morning regarding loud banging noises. There officers confronted a man with a sledgehammer. The man was tased and arrested.
Front and side door handles were broken, along with items inside the church. The pieces of the Virgin Mary were slammed off, including her face and parts of her hands. The vandalism comes just days before a religious celebration dedicated to the patron saint.
"It's certainly going to be very sad for the community," said Rev. Pedro Lopez. "They're going to be very upset when they discover what has happened, especially the many people that come from outside the parish with whom we don't have regular communication. They're going to see it and be startled by what they see."
Rev. Lopez says the church and parishioners are still looking forward to the upcoming celebration.
Donations can be made towards repairs. Those wanting to donate can stop by in-person or mail to the church. Those wanting to help out via mail, it is important those donations be made towards safety & cameras.
The church hopes to meet their goal of $21,000.
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