Vandals break into Amarillo church, damage altar, baptismal font, processional cross | KVII

Excerpt

Police are investigating after sacramental items at St. Andrew's Church were vandalized early Thursday morning.The vandals damaged the altar, baptismal font and

Vandals breaking into St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Amarillo and damage multiple items (Credit: St. Andrew's Episcopal Church Amarillo)

AMARILLO, Texas (KVII) — Police are investigating after sacramental items at St. Andrew's Church were vandalized early Thursday morning.

The vandalism happened at about 2 a.m.

The vandals damaged the altar, baptismal font and processional cross with the font being the most damaged. The carvings of saints were also targeted.

The tabernacle was opened and consecrated hosts were scattered on the floor. Water used for the font was also poured onto the floor.

The damage was discovered and police were contacted.

Bishop Scott Mayer noted that the intruders specifically targeted sacramental items.

“These physical objects such as the font, the consecrated hosts, and the altar are outward and visible signs of God’s presence among us and as such carry within themselves the holy. Matter matters. Things that we can touch, and handle can be sacred. Our very bodies are sacred. It’s related to finding the sacred in the ordinary. It is part of the incarnational nature of our theology,” Mayer said. “That’s why even as we deal with our own sorrow and understandable anger, we remember the importance of praying for the perpetrators, who also are beloved children of God.”

“Our church was attacked by people who desperately need our prayers," Senior Warden Bill Aikman said. "St. Andrew’s is rooted and grounded in the love of Christ and we will not be intimidated by these vandals.”

On Sunday, St. Andrews will have a liturgy for restoring to sacred use consecrated objects that have been damaged. Each object will be symbolically cleansed by the use of signs of purification such as water or incense. Each object will be touched or otherwise indicated and declared “restored to the use for which it has been dedicated and consecrated.”

Church officials said there was less destruction than the fire in 1996 but it may have been more shocking due to the "intentionality of harm and manifestation of hatred."