A Roman Catholic abbey in an isolated part of Gower, Missouri, was reportedly shot at several times this month, bullets punching through the mother abbess’s bedroom walls.
If this proves to be a targeted attack, it is yet another data point in the worldwide trend of violence and bigotry aimed at places of worship, religious communities, and people of faith.
“On March 24th,” the Benedictines of Mary said Monday in a statement, “just after 11:00 pm, loud gunshots were heard by many Sisters in the Abbey. Some of the Sisters arose, but soon returned to sleep, as we have sadly become desensitized on account of the many incidents of inappropriate activity around our monastery.”
It added, “In the morning, Mother Abbess discovered two bullet holes in her bedroom. A bullet had entered through the exterior wall, punched a hole beneath the Sacred Heart picture, and continued to penetrate through the wall directly opposite, being stopped by shower wall on its other side. Mother Abbess was sleeping several feet from the bullet’s trajectory.”
For context, the abbey is located in a remote, sparsely populated area (there are only 1,526 residents in Gower, according to a 2019 U.S. Census Bureau estimate). Gower also has a relatively low-crime rate. The Benedictines of Mary are not located in a “bad” part of town. Their abbey is not situated in some warlike urban sprawl.
It is possible the alleged shooting is simply the byproduct of a reckless, lawless joyride. However, that the abbey is a 10-minute drive from the nearest city, coupled with the fact the mother abbess’s room specifically was shot up, leaves one with more than a sneaking suspicion the reported incident was a targeted act of violence.
“Though this has been rather unsettling,” the abbey’s statement continued, “we are all very much at peace. These types of situations, while very disturbing, are exceedingly good reminders to heed St. Benedict’s words to ‘keep death daily before ones eyes.’”
It added, “That does not mean we won’t take necessary precautions for better security. Indeed, we have long desired more privacy and protection, as our monastery sits at the intersection of two country roads. We are in the process of selecting tall fencing or sturdy wall panels to protect our buildings on this northeast section of our property, including our gardens where the Sisters work every day.”
They estimated the planned security overhauls will cost upward of $200,000.
“Thank you so much for your ongoing prayers and support,” the statement concluded. “We wish you all a most blessed Holy Week, and a glorious Easter to follow. You are in our hearts and prayers during these holiest of days.”
A spokesperson for the Gower Police Department did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
Between the reported abbey shooting and the many recent examples of attacks on places of worship and people of faith, it’s difficult to read the monastery’s account of what happened and not suspect targeted violence. The only other option is the Benedictines of Mary are victims of a bizarre, random shooting in the middle of nowhere, which would be nearly as bad, but for different reasons.
If the alleged Gower shooting is an intentional attack, it is a continuation of a deeply disturbing and dark global trend. Indeed, between anti-faith hate crimes and massacres and the defacement, destruction, and vandalism of houses of worship and religious shrines, it feels as if we’re living through the first 15 minutes of The Exorcist, sacrilegious iconoclasm and all.
Acts of explicitly anti-religious violence are usually a sign of worse things to come, especially when the violence becomes the norm, not the exception. This sort of thing never ends well for anyone.
