Anchorage Cathedral Vandalized
Photo Credit: Catholic Anchor
A video of the damage taken by Dominican Father Mark Francis Manzano shows overturned pews, spilt holy water, toppled liturgical furniture, including the archbishop’s presider’s chair and debris scattered throughout the sanctuary. Advent candles and the ambo were also thrown to the floor and a microphone connected to the sound system was ripped out.
On his Facebook page Father Manzano noted that while the damage was considerable, “it could have been much worse.”
“By the grace of God, the tabernacle, the relics, and the ambry were all secured and left untouched,” he observed.
The cathedral will mark its 100th year anniversary next year. It was the first church built in Anchorage and remains a historic landmark, even hosting Pope John Paul II during his 1981 visit to Anchorage.
Father Manzano noted that as the cathedral church for the Anchorage Archdiocese, the downtown parish tries to “intentionally keep our doors open from an hour before the morning Mass until the conclusion of Vespers in the evening.”
“Now we are rethinking our schedule,” he posted. “We are rethinking lots of things now since this is the second vandalism event within one week of each other.”
A week prior vandals damaged one of the priests’ cars, busting a back window. Over the last few years the cathedral has been targeted by vandals who have damaged outdoor statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary as well as a number of saint statues.
In the most recent incident the tabernacle was undamaged and that the Blessed Sacrament was not violated but the altar was stripped.
Police are investigating the incident.
Originally posted on CatholicAnchor.org
Reprinted in-full courtesy of Joel Davidson. Read more from Joel HERE.