Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 6, 2024 / 13:15 pm (CNA).
The Georgetown University Police Department is investigating two “potential hate crimes” after a processional crucifix was found damaged inside the university’s chapel and a statue of the Blessed Mother was found to be displaced and on the ground.
“We are currently investigating them as potential hate crimes,” Vice President for Mission and Ministry Father Mark Bosco and Associate Vice President of Public Safety Jay Gruber wrote in a jointly signed letter sent out to Georgetown staff and students.
“Anti-Catholic acts and desecration of religious symbols are deeply concerning, hurtful, and offensive,” the letter read. “Acts of vandalism, especially of sacred spaces, have no place in our campus community.”
Georgetown University, established in 1789 and located in Washington, D.C., is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in the United States.
According to the letter, Georgetown University police received a report on Friday, Aug. 30, that the large processional crucifix in the Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart was “inappropriately moved and sustained damage after being placed against the door.” Later that morning, staff found that “the statue of the Blessed Mother by the Heyden Observatory and Gardens was displaced and on the ground.”
The university does not know the identity or “motivation of the person or persons responsible,” according to the letter, and does not know whether anyone involved is associated with the university.
After reviewing video surveillance, the police department identified “a light-complexioned male wearing a dark-colored hoodie and dark-colored pants entering Dahlgren Chapel around 11:40 p.m.” the night before, the letter states. However, it adds that the university does not know whether “these incidents are related.” Police are investigating whether “these incidents are related to other reported irregularities at these sites in recent weeks,” the letter said.
When reached by CNA to ask whether there have been any updates to the investigation, a spokesperson for the university referred CNA back to the original letter. The Georgetown University Police Department referred CNA to the university’s communications office.
The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Dahlgren Chapel provides a spiritual home for our Catholic community and a welcoming place for reflection and prayer for all members of our community,” the letter read. “In this sacred space, generations of students, faculty, staff, and alumni have attended Mass, exchanged sacred vows at weddings, found reconciliation in confessions, were baptized into the faith, or simply reflected in a quiet moment to re-center their lives.”
According to the letter, all services at the Dahlgren Chapel would continue as normal and police are increasing patrols of religious spaces on campus. The letter also asks anyone who can assist in the investigation to contact the Georgetown police through the phone at 202-687-4343 or through email at police@georgetown.edu.
This is a developing story.
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The colleges need to get a clue, immediately. In these violent times when churches and religious art are attacked at will, there will always be people who engage in such activity. Colleges need, first, to place GOOD QUALITY security cameras in areas where students cannot reach them, to record incidents such as these, and capture the identity of the vandal . Second, if the vandal is a student they should be made to pay for the repair of any damage, and they they should be expelled from school. Period. If they are NOT a student, they should be prosecuted as fully as the law allows. It is long past time that our society go back to consequences for criminal or offensive actions, and dare I say, give out PUNISHMENT, when people step over the line. This is especially true when it involves attacks on religion.Its pretty simple to announce such a policy to all students and have the PARENTS sign an agreement notification.
LJ;
Everything you’ve said makes perfect sense. The very fact that you’ve said it – because it needed to be said – makes you the leading candidate for this week’s ‘Captain Obvious’ award, which in turn is quite a sad thing to say.
In any case – thanks for saying it. As for punishment – I must admit that I would be in favor of a swift kick, but that’s just me.
Terence. Thank you. I think?? Sadly, common sense is no longer common. And general realities we used to be able to take for granted no longer hold. In that I include respecting a church. A standard of behavior even professional criminals in days gone by would not generally dare to ignore. Times have changed and not for the better . Which is why more people must INSIST their elected reps enforce the law. Certain DA’s and judges across the country,for example, who seem to believe that THEY have the right to enforce some laws and ignore others, have no business holding elected office. And those who vote for them share the blood which is on their hands.Until we have better justice than now, we need to employ all the technology available to track down the criminals. And then, yes, make certain they are punished for their actions.
As for your wish to give criminals a ‘swift kick”, I frankly agree. The old punishments were indeed rather brutal, but more and more I find myself thinking it might be the only way to “encourage” offenders to not want to return to jail a second time.
Are we certain this story isn’t a spoof?
I would be concerned if Georgetown were a Catholic university, but it ceased being Catholic 50 years ago so I could care less. Karma is a bitch, as they say at Georgetown today.
Look, this is on Georgetown, they should have covered up these symbols of religiosity the way they did to please Obama when he visited. Also, I’m looking to see the comments of illustrious Georgetown alums such as Sandra Fluke.
A now deceased man I know who went there at the same time as Antonin Scalia used to lament the decline, including the zinger, I was there when the Jesuits were the Pope’s marines, not the Pope’s queens.
Although in all candor, I think the rot had entered the order by the time he was there.
No more hateful or sacrilegious than what Georgetown has done to its “Catholic” identity.
Wasn’t it at Georgetown University- that shining star of Jesuit education – where the crucifixes were either covered over or removed when a certain speaker came to campus a few years back? And now they consider desecration of crosses as hate speech? Who’s exactly being played a fool here?