A crowed of tribal people vandalized a Catholic church, a grotto of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the presbytery in Narayanpur district in India’s Chhattisgarh state on January 2.
The crowed, armed with sticks and stones, forced open the main gate of the Sacred Heart church in the heart of the district headquarters and pelted stone at the church.
They then forced themselves into the building through the main door and destroyed everything, including the crucifix in the altar.
The crowed also vandalized the presbytery and a grotto of the Virgin Mary inside the church compound.
Parish priest Father Jomon TD told Matters India that “nothing is left, everything is destroyed.”
“The more than five decades old church was rebuilt five years back and now everything inside is ruined,” he said.
Archbishop Victor Henry Thakur of Raipur has condemned the attack and sought action against those behind it.
“We are deeply saddened and pained by the destructive attacks on Christians and today’s atrociously vandalizing of the Catholic church and presbytery at Narayanpur in the Diocese of Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh,” said the archbishop.
The crowed that attacked the church was part of a protest under the banner of the Sarva Adivasi Samaj that is opposed to tribal people adopting other faiths especially Christianity and Islam.
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