Authorities in Wisconsin are looking for one or more suspects believed to be connected to a vandalism incident where pro-abortion graffiti messages were sprayed on a Wisconsin church in Madison, west of Milwaukee.
The Madison Police Department said the front entrance of St. Bernard Catholic Church was damaged with spray-painted messages that contained “anti-pro-life” and “anti-police” signs, WMTV reported.
Michael Radowicz, the church’s pastor, said in a statement obtained by the network that he understands some people may be angered over the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of the landmark abortion ruling Roe v. Wade, but acts of vandalism won’t solve anything.
“St. Bernard Parish is saddened over the graffiti on the front of the church,” Radowicz said. “We join in prayer for those who did this, that the Lord may heal their hearts,” the pastor added.
Radowicz concluded his statement by saying that Madison officials have launched an investigation into the crime.
Authorities are asking anyone with information on the incident to step forward and contact Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014 or visit p3tips.com. A cash reward is also being offered for any clues that result in an arrest.
The spray-painted message reportedly critiqued the church’s position on abortion by referencing Native-American children that were killed in the 19th and 20th-century, according to a picture shared on Twitter.
“Pro-life my [explicit] [explicit] let’s talk about all the native kids you’ve killed!!!” the graffiti reads.
The Catholic faith prohibits any taking of life.
The U.S. Supreme Court last month reversed Roe vs. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that essentially legalized abortion across the country. The reversal has created questions about whether Wisconsin’s 1849 ban on abortion is now in effect.
Despite claims made by some pro-abortion activists, the overturning of Roe v. Wade does not itself end legal abortion across the nation, but rather returns the matter to the states to enact their own abortion policies.
Growing Number of Attacks on Churches and Pro-Life Organizations
In early May, the office of a pro-life group in Wisconsin was set on fire and vandalized with graffiti in what police described as a targeted attack. The graffiti-sprayed message onto the walls said, “If abortions aren’t safe, then you aren’t either.”
Authorities in Madison said in an incident report at the time that a Molotov cocktail was hurled inside the building. When the device failed to ignite, “it also appears a separate fire was started in response,” officials stated
Firefighters quickly doused the flames and no injuries were reported.
The group, called “Wisconsin Family Action,” announced after the May attack that it plans to repair its office and continue its mission, which it describes as promoting marriage, family, life, and religious freedom.
The latest acts of vandalism targeting religious institutions in Wisconsin happened as a string of Catholic Churches across the United States and Canada have faced a series of vandalism and arson attacks in recent years.
At least 144 incidents involving the targeting of Catholic sites have occurred across 36 states and Washington D.C. since May 2020, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
According to the organization, the incidents include destroying and defacing statues and defacing gravestones along with burned American flags left next to them, as well as arson, among other forms of destruction and vandalism.