Several acts of vandalism at churches on the same road in Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C., are being investigated as vandalism and arson, authorities said Monday.
The weekend’s incidents in Bethesda, Maryland, included fires at two of the churches and vandalism at the third. The similarities among the three acts led authorities to believe the attacks were connected.
“These churches are within a few mile radius of each other,” Pete Piringer, the spokesman for Montgomery County’s Fire and Rescue Service, told CNN. “We can’t conclusively say right now that they are connected, but they are all very similar.”
The first fire occurred Saturday morning at approximately 1:30 a.m. at North Bethesda United Methodist Church. The damage to the church was minimal but caused damage to the fellowship hall, kitchen, and a hallway, according to the church’s spokesperson.
“We are saddened by these destructive acts, and we feel tinges of the heartache and fear that arise in communities of all types when a sacred space is desecrated,” the Rev. Kara Scroggins, the church’s senior pastor, said. “We cannot know the hurt of the person or people who vandalized churches in our neighborhood, and so we lift their hurt and our own hurt up to God.”
A graveyard adjacent to the second church was desecrated. The church was not set on fire, but Piringer said the damage is believed to be a result of vandalism. A couple of headstones were damaged in the attack.
“Our prayers and concern are for those whose hearts are so vile to attack churches and graveyards,” Wildwood Baptist Church said in a statement.
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The third attack occurred Sunday morning at approximately 2 a.m. St. Jane Frances de Chantal Catholic Church’s pastor, the Rev. Samuel Giese, livestreamed remarks from the burned church, which included damage to several pews. The fire was burning in the sanctuary when it was extinguished by first responders, but there was evidence of fire attempts in other locations at the church.
As a result of the fire, Mass on Sunday was held in the church’s gymnasium. Weekday services are expected to continue in the gymnasium this week, with the hope of returning to the sanctuary on July 17, Giese said in the livestream.
“I’m sorry to share this news with you,” Giese said when listing the damage, reminding the congregants, “We are the Church. We are the living stones. We are the body of Christ.”
Giese said he believes the attacks on the church stem from its stance on abortion. Several churches and pregnancy centers have seen an increase in vandalism since a draft of the Supreme Court’s majority opinion overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked in May, according to the Catholic News Agency. However, no motive has been disclosed by the authorities investigating the acts.
Representatives for the churches did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s requests for comment.
