Unknown vandal beheads statue of Christ at New York Catholic church

Statue of Christ with severed head. Photo: screenshot from Eyewitness News ABC7NY YouTube channel

In New York, an unknown assailant attacked St. Mary’s Catholic Parish, LifeSiteNews reports.

Parishioners discovered the mutilated statue of Jesus on May 16, 2026, at around 11 a.m., as families with children had gathered at the church for a celebration. The vandal severed the head from the sculpture and hid it in nearby bushes beside the church garden.

The parish rector, Fr. Anthony Iaconis, called the incident horrific and urged the faithful to pray for the person who committed the act of sacrilege. The priest noted that children would usually come to this garden statue after services to take commemorative photos.

Police are now searching for those responsible and are investigating the incident as a hate crime.

As previously reported by the UOJ, vandals in France smashed the altar of a Roman Catholic church with an axe. In such incidents, the attack is usually aimed at a visible symbol of parish life, while law enforcement response begins with a hate-motive classification followed by efforts to establish the evidentiary basis.

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