A Kansas catholic church named for St. Patrick was vandalized as the weekend leading to St. Patrick’s Day began.
A suspect was arrested Sunday after the damage to St. Patrick’s Church in Wichita was discovered at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Wichita police representative Aaron Moses said, according to the Wichita Eagle.
Police found “extensive vandalism, including hate speech, damage to statues, candles and glass. Notably, a United States flag was also burned,” Moses said.
Police declined to provide details of what the hate speech said.
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The Wichita Fire Department, FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were investigating, police said.
NEW: A Catholic church in Kansas was ransacked Friday night by Satanists. The FBI and ATF are on scene investigating.
— CatholicVote (@CatholicVote) March 16, 2025
Statues, candles, and windows were smashed, and an American flag was burned at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Wichita. The vandals also spray-painted hate… pic.twitter.com/s8LOAthXLJ
“After forcing their way inside, statues were destroyed, glass smashed and other extensive damage exacted upon this sacred space,” the Kansas Catholic Conference posted on Facebook.
“A Satanic website was scrawled on a wall. This is the face of evil,” the post said.
“It’s disgusting,” Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan said, according to KSN-TV.
“It doesn’t matter what denomination. People should feel safe there, and they should feel that it’s a place that would be respected,” he said.
According to the Wichita Eagle, a suspect in the vandalism was arrested at 2:20 a.m. Sunday.
The Salina Post identified the suspect as Michael Angel Gonzalez, 23, of Saline County.
Gonzalez has been locked up in the Sedgwick County Jail on a bond of more than $500,000 and faces charges of burglary, criminal desecration and criminal damage to property in connection with the damage to the church.
Gonzalez also faces charges of contempt of court and violating his parole, according to KAKE-TV.
The Kansas Department of Corrections said Gonzalez was on parole for convictions of criminal threat, criminal damage to property and burglary.
“This reprehensible act of vandalism will not be tolerated,” Sullivan said.
This article originally appeared on The Western Journal, and is reposted with permission.
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